Stolen Love

Chapter Twenty Five

Ashton

Simon escorted Clint out the door as Joe took hold of Riley and walked over to Brett. I proceeded to join Simon in the hallway.

"I apologize for intruding on your recovery, but we have reason to believe that the car accident was intentional. We suspect Mia was the intended target," Simon explained.

"Hey, Si, don't worry about it. I was discussing it with the guys and had a hunch too. Joe spotted a dark-colored truck trailing us and he kept glancing at the rearview mirror. It was tailing us so closely, almost like it was glued to our bumper," he shared.

Simon nodded, making quick notes in his small black notebook.

"Did you happen to see the license plates?" He inquired.

"Actually, the thing is, he didn't have any. We were chatting with Mia, trying to be discreet so as not to alarm Riley, when Joe unintentionally allowed him to move towards Mia while changing lanes to avoid him. He veered towards the side," he explained, shaking his head and gazing down at the ground.

"Did you manage to get a clear view of him?" Simon inquired.

"He had dark hair, was Caucasian, sported a black shirt and jeans, and also had a visible neck tattoo," he mentioned.

"That's a substantial amount of details, you've been very helpful. Can you describe the type of tattoo?" Simon inquired.

"It seemed like the print of an animal's paw, black in hue. He made direct eye contact as he came alongside Mia and swerved into us. Joe lost control, leading to the spin and the rear end colliding with the barricade. It was Mia's side that made contact with the barricade," Clint recounted with tears in his eyes.

Simon placed his hand on his shoulder, offering comfort.

"Clint, you did everything you could. It's not your fault," I consoled, embracing him as he struggled to hold back tears.

"You couldn't have stopped it, none of us could have. This guy was targeting Mia, so there was nothing we could've done," I reassured.

"But there was something strange. Mia seemed nervous at the airport, like she was being followed. I had a bad feeling about it, but I didn't have the guts to ask her," he confessed with frustration.

"I'm telling you, this could have been any situation. It's not your fault, so don't carry the blame," I reassured.

"Did she have a specific area she was focused on?" Simon inquired.

"She was watching everywhere," Clint responded.

"Alright, thanks for that. I'll gather Joe's and Brett's reports, but I'll need you to continue with Riley. I don't want to startle him or rouse suspicion. He's quite astute," Simon said, directing his gaze towards me.

I nodded in agreement. "I'll take him to the recreation room here. I spotted one when we came to see Mia," I suggested.

Clint glanced at me and let out a sigh.

"We only came across Riley for the first time just yesterday, Ash. We were completely taken aback. We didn't want to intrude, as we hadn't had any contact with Mia for five years. However, we were receiving occasional updates from Jarrod," he said, looking down with a hint of unease.

"It's alright. I wasn't in a good place back then. If Mia didn't want to be found, I trusted my closest friends to keep her safe," I said absentmindedly, before Clint's expression turned sour.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to upset -" I started to say.

He shook his head and smiled sadly. "No, I understand what you're saying," he replied.

"Hey, one more thing - Joe has been deeply affected by this. He's blaming himself because he was the driver. He's torn up thinking that if he hadn't made that split-second decision to change lanes, none of this would've happened," Clint said.

"Mia knew she was being followed at the airport, and that’s probably why she seemed so preoccupied," Simon suggested. I agreed solemnly. Why didn't she seek help? Was she scared? My head was spinning with this revelation. Was Mia was hiding something?.

Before our conversation could continue, my phone vibrated in my pocket, interrupting us. I took it out and saw that Jarrod was calling.

"Hey, how's it going?" I greeted.

"We're here. Where are you guys?" he inquired.

"I'm with the guys and Simon. I ran into him outside," I responded.

"Alright, we'll start heading up. Lisa has asked for Riley," he stated.

"Sure thing, man. I'll catch you soon. Simon is here to inquire about yesterday's incident," I responded.

After ending the call, I glanced up and spotted Clint.

"Is Mia doing alright?" he inquired.

I diverted my gaze to the ground and shook my head.

"They had to put her in an induced coma. The impact to her head caused a brain bleed, and she had to undergo emergency surgery last night because of a spleen tear. Fortunately, the surgery was successful. In addition, she sustained multiple fractures in her right leg and ribs," I conveyed.

He restrained a sob and staggered backward, leaning against the wall. Simon and I reached out to support him.

"Sorry man, I shouldn't have hurled it at you like that," I said, grasping his shoulder for reassurance.

"Fuck! I almost had her. My hand was so close to reaching her!" he exclaimed, displaying his injured and bruised hand. He clenched it into a fist and wept.

"I'm so fucken sorry," he uttered, doubling over in anguish.

"Hey, come on, man, we need to stay strong. Mia will make it through this, we all know her resilience, she's a fighter," I consoled.

He shed a few tears, while Riley looked concerned and gazed at the entrance.

"Dad?" he asked, worried.

Clint stood tall, brushing away the last traces of tears from his face. By the time Riley broke free from Joe's embrace and dashed towards us, it was too late.

"Uncle Clint, are you upset about mummy?" he asked, reaching for Clint's hand.

Glancing down at Riley, Clint cleared his throat. "I'm sorry, Riley. I wish I could have rescued her as well," he confessed, holding a guilty expression.

Riley gazed up at him and nodded. "Don't worry, uncle Clint. My mummy is strong," Clint's eyes widened before a sorrowful smile settled on his face.

"Riley, I really appreciate that," he expressed.

Joe emerged and gazed at Riley with a grin.

"You're a top-notch youngster," he ruffled his hair and Riley giggled.

"My mum always tells me that," he stated proudly.