Womanizer (Spoilt) (18 page)

“Is that what you want? Besides
, it won’t help. Give it some time, try again.”

“I never knew love could suck so much.”

“Sometimes it’s a bit rocky on the way there but worth it in the end. Believe me.”

“If I get there you mean.”

Once she heard Mitch leave, Isabe
lle allowed the tears to flow, tears for her missing baby, tears for the ache over hurting Mitch and maybe losing him for good, tears for her mum and what she must be going through.

With that thought she knew she had to pull herself together and talk to her mum at the hospital before the police did.

“I’m going to the hospital,” she said to Anthony once she knew Mitch had gone. “Can you stay here and answer the phone?”

“Sure. If you need me, just ring.”

“Thank you,” she said, embracing her brother. “I’m glad you’re here. Sorry for accusing you before.”

“Think nothing of it. Now go.”

At the hospital, Isabelle was relieved to learn from the doctor that Carol’s leg injury was a minor one and no permanent damage had occurred. Her relief doubled when she discovered the police had not questioned Carol as yet but were waiting for her to be finished with the doctor. They allowed Isabelle to see her before the police did.

“Mum, are you OK?” Isabelle said, racing over to the bed.

“Jesse! He took Jesse. I’
m so sorry! I tried to stop him …” Tears slid down Carol’s cheeks and Isabelle attempted to stay calm.

“I know, Mum. A
nother letter was delivered to the house.”

Retrieving the letter from her pocket she passed it to her mother. Carol frowned as she read it before turning her worried expression to Isabelle.

“I told you we should have contacted the police.”

“I know. I
can’t change that now. Do you know who took him?” The worry suffocated her words and it took every effort to speak. All she wanted to do was fall apart but that wouldn’t help Jesse.

“No, I’ve never see him before but I could identify him if I saw him again. What are we going to do?”

Fresh tears trickled down Isabelle’s face and choking back a sob, she said the words. “I have done as the letter asked and broken up with Mitch.”

“We have to tell the police.”

“No! You read the letter, we can’t risk it. Oh God, Jesse ...” The anguish of the past hour caught up with her and she allowed the tears to flow and the sobs to rack her body. Carol waited out the tears and comforted her daughter. Several minutes elapsed before Isabelle spoke again. “After this ... when he contacts me tomorrow, I’ll tell him I’ve done as he asked. Then I’ll get Jesse back. If I don’t hear from him tomorrow, I’ll go to the police, but for now I think we have to do as he asks. I can’t risk it.”

They were interrupted by a sharp rap on the door and two uniformed police entered the room.

“Do you mind if we ask you a few questions, Ms Winters?”

“Sure.”

Isabelle sent a warning look to Carol, begging her to say nothing.

“
Ms Winters, can you tell us what happened?”

“I was doing some shopping and I was heading back to my car when a man jumped me and tried to steal my purse. When I resisted, he shot me and ran off.”

“The staff mentioned when you were brought in you said your grandson had been kidnapped.”

“No, I was in shock and was confused. I didn’t know what I was saying.”

“So your grandson hasn’t been abducted?”

“No,” she said with a conviction that surprised Isabelle. If she didn’t know any better, she would have believed Carol’s story. “I dropped my grandson off at my sister’s before it happened. Like I said, I was confused.”

“Can you describe the man?”

“No, it all happened so fast and I didn’t get a good look at him. I’m sorry
, officers.”

“Thank you,
Ms Winters. If you think of anything, please contact us.”

“I
will, thank you.”

“What now?” Carol asked once they had left.

“I guess we just have to wait.”

This worrying thought sent bile into her throat. Her poor baby would be so scared and alone. What if he wasn’t alright? What if this maniac had done something to Jesse? Nausea rolled her stomach and Isabelle knew she was going to be sick.

“Oh Jesse …” she moaned before racing off to the bathroom and emptying her stomach.

How was she going to get through the whole night? Isabelle curled up on the bed with her mother and neither of them spoke or slept.

Mitch wandered around the big empty house while pain and dread overwhelmed him. Why had she done this to them? He loved her so much and she was throwing it all away and for what? Why? Unanswered questions compounded his heartache. Hadn’t he reassured her and alleviated her fears? He thought she felt the same way. Was it possible that someone had gotten to her and told her something about him that was untrue? He didn’t want to believe she didn’t love him and they were a mistake.

Her excitement over starting a new life together, upon seeing the house, had seemed genuine. The house he now stood in would be a constant reminder of what he’d lost. Evening arrived and dinnertime came and went. Food and hunger were the furthest things from his mind. Besides there was nothing in the house anyway. He’d planned to take them out for dinner to celebrate. At a loose end, and in a world of pain, Mitch realized he needed company, something to take his mind off his confusion.

Jared would u
nderstand and Mitch didn’t want to stay in the house alone. Without further thought, he jumped into his car, and although it would be like adding salt to an open wound to see the newlyweds, he also needed his family.

Charlotte answered his knock looking happy and refreshed. Married life was obviously treating them well. The aroma wafting down the hall let him know his brother must be home.

“Mitch! What are you doing here? Are you OK?” The smile that greeted him dropped and was replaced with a concerned frown.

“Not really.”

“Come in and lay it on us,” she said, leading him towards the kitchen.

With a desponded thud he sat in one of the chairs seated at the breakfast bar as Charlotte placed a beer in front of him before sitting beside him. Jared joined them and waited as though sensing words wouldn’t help.

“Shouldn’t you be celebrating in your new house?” she asked, her warm brown eyes full of question.

“That was the plan.”

“So what happened?”

“She broke up with me.”

“What?” she said, shock now filling her features.

“I can’t work it out either. Yesterday s
he was happy and excited, today, well, she’s changed her mind but I have no idea why.”

He traced the droplets of water on the bottle in front of him with his finger before taking a large swig. Something had to dull the pain.

“Maybe it’s a misunderstanding. You saw what happened with us,” Jared said.

“She didn’t give me a ch
ance to find out. She just said, ‘Not happening’, and shut the door.”

“Gee
, that sounds familiar,” Charlotte said glancing at her husband. “I seem to recall a certain man didn’t want to hear me out either. Maybe this is the same.”

“She
wasn’t angry or upset but stone-faced, cold. It was weird.” He took another swig of his drink and went back to scrutinizing the bottle. “Anyway, I don’t want to talk about it anymore, it hurts too much. This was why I never got involved.”

“You really do love her
, don’t you?” Jared asked.

“Yes
, I do. She is the most beautiful, sweet and passionate woman I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. Present company excluded, of course.” He offered a glib smile to Charlotte. “Like I said, there is no use talking about it. She doesn’t want to be with me and I have to accept it. I guess my only option really is meaningless sex.” He drained the rest of his beer and Jared replaced it. Though they knew the answer wasn’t at the bottom of a bottle, it couldn’t hurt to numb Mitch a little.

“I don’t think that is the answer,” Jared said.

“Are you and Nathan the same person? He said the same thing today. I’m not like both of you, I didn’t get the girl.”

“Just wait and talk to her again. Give her some time. Sleeping with some random girl isn’t going to help your cause.”

“I’m not going to jump into bed with someone tonight, Jared, give me some credit. I’m just saying maybe that is the life I’m supposed to have. I’m not getting involved again. I don’t know how I’m going to get over her.”

“Try again tomorrow,” Charlotte encouraged.

“Do you mind if I crash here for a couple of days? I can’t stay at the house.”

“As long as you need,” Jared said. “Dinner’s almost ready.”

“I’m not hungry.” He finished his beer in several pulls before speaking again. “I think I’ll just hang outside for a bit.”

Mitch trudged out to the patio and watched the sunset. A painful thought filled his mind: this is what he would have been doing with Isabelle on their balcony.

Chapter Twenty One

Gone

T
he morning passed without any word from her crazy admirer and it played havoc with Isabelle’s nerves. She couldn’t bear the thought of life without Jesse. Her baby was who knew where and undoubtedly frightened. Her whole body ached with the yearning to reassure him, to hold him in her arms.

Dealing with Jesse’s abduction was hard enough but the thought of life without Mitch as well was driving her insane. When she needed her lover most, this obsessed maniac had forced her to push him away too. She hoped with all her heart that when this was over she could make amends. She had to stay strong and get her son back first. The ringing phone brought her back into focus and she dived on it with shaking hands.

“Yes?”

“Do you want to see Jesse again?” a vaguely familiar voice asked.

“You know I do. If you have hurt him, I swear -”

“Then a simple exchange will make us both happy. Jesse will be safe and we will be together.”

“What are you saying?” Isabelle asked, holding her breath.

“I will let Jesse go if you come with me in his place.”

A cold shiver run up her spine and caused her to gasp. She hadn’t expected the psycho to ask for this.

“I’ll do a
nything for Jesse but know this, I wouldn’t be going with you willingly.”

“I’ll take you any way I can. In time you will grow to love me as I do you.”

This thought made her skin crawl and bile to rise in her throat, stealing her words.

“Do we have a deal?”

“Yes.”

“Meet me in the car park on the north side of the South Coast Bridge at three.”

The line went dead. Isabelle checked the time. She had an hour. Regardless of what the kidnapper thought, there would be no way that she or Jesse would be going anywhere with him. Pocketing her phone, she grabbed her keys. There would be enough time to update Carol at the hospital on the way to the meeting place.

Mitch woke with a groggy head pounding out a beat that a marching band would be proud of. Ignoring the hangover which needed to be slept away, he rose with no idea what to do next. He squandered the morning away drinking coffee and wallowing in self-pity. Try as he might, he couldn’t shake the iciness of her demeanor the previous day. How could this be the same Izzy he had fallen in love with? Already missing her more than he thought possible, he didn’t know how he was going to move on. The thought of their empty house simply added to this and the thought of returning there alone was almost more than he could endure.

When his phone rang
late in the afternoon he realized he’d been sitting in the same spot for much of the day, and if he kept this up, his melancholy would consume him. The number wasn’t one he recognized and his heart dropped. He hoped it would be his Izzy.

“Yeah, it’s Mitch.”

“Mitch, it’s Carol.”

He sat up a little straighter. “What’s up?”

“We need your help. Isabelle won’t like me calling you but I don’t know what else to do.”

“What is it?” His impatience began to grow. Was
Izzy in trouble?

Carol proceeded to fill him in regarding the letters and the abduction of Jesse. For a brief moment he was relieved at
there being a reason Isabelle had pushed him away, until the overriding feeling of panic at what Isabelle was about to do took precedent.

With quick reassuring words he told Carol he would do everything he could to bring them both back. After hanging up he wondered how he was going to achieve this. Trying not to let
his fear of losing her cloud his thoughts, he rang Nathan and then Jared. Mitch would need some back up and hoped it would be enough.