To Protect A Child, To Love A Child

Chapter 14

*Click* Ashley hung up with yet another person who didn't know where her daughter was; she was drinking and panicking and running out of options. She flipped through her black book and tried to come up with someone else she could call besides the police. She had called Jack, Brad even Billy among so many others but none of them had her or had seen her. And now she felt guilty for down playing the situation to all of them, telling them she was probably just at soccer practice and had forgotten about it so Abby probably got a ride with a friend since Ashley hadn't been able to get a hold of Abby's soccer coach, but as more and more time passed she began to think the worst.

She started to flip through her book again in search of someone else to call and finally her eyes fell on a name she hadn't tried yet, *Victor...of course why didn't I think of him sooner* she looked at the drink in her hand answering her own question *She has to be with him...there is nowhere else...she was so mad when I told her she couldn't stay there last night...that has to be where she is...but...* Ashley hesitated looking down at the phone *If I'm wrong and admit to Victor I don't know where our daughter is, he isn't going to take some lame soccer excuse...he'll freak and take Abby away from me* She hesitated a few more seconds but finally gave in, she downed the rest of her drink and began dialing deciding it was worth the risk as long as she knew where her daughter was and that she was safe.

Ashley called the ranch five times and got the voicemail every time, she even tried Victor and Nikki's cells but still no answer. Finally she decided to call the office where Nick told her his parents had stayed home today with Abby, "Is something wrong Ashley? I figured you knew" Nick asked her suspicious of what was going on.

"No, no I knew she was with them" she lied "I was just trying to get ahold of them and I didn't realize they weren't going to the office even if Abby was there...thanks Nick, I'll try the ranch again...bye" Ashley abruptly hung up not giving Nick a chance to say anything else. Ashley was brooding and getting angrier every second, and it didn't help that she had just took about six more pills and downed another glass of alcohol, *They have had my daughter this entire time and couldn't even pick up a phone and call me...they think they can just keep my daughter there and I won't do anything about it...I'll show them* she stumbled over to the table and grabbed her keys and purse and headed for the door. She was going to get her daughter and bring her back home and no one was going to stop her.

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