A shoulder to lean on

Part 18 - Safe

Stepping through the front door of Stevie's Malibu home never felt better, the driver setting their bags down nicely in the hall and Lindsey tipping him, Stevie instantly wrapping herself gently around her new fiancé. His eyes closed with a bit of mist, using both arms now to hold her, even though he should keep his arm in that sling, it just felt easier this way. He missed being able to use both of his arms to hold Stevie, rubbing the back of her head and lingering his lips near her temple.

"I'm here, baby," keeping her as close as possible, her sniffling while burying her face in to his chest.

"Stevie? Lindsey? What on Earth...?"  questioned Karen as she came waltzing down the staircase, Sulamith beating her to Stevie's feet as she picked up her beloved Yorkie. "You two weren't supposed to be back for at least another week - what happened?"  concern on her face as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Why don't you go get yourself in to the bath, huh, baby?" Lindsey looked at Stevie, knowing that she would not be ready to explain what had happened to her. She nodded and gave him a kiss, smiling briefly at Karen as she slowly walked up the stairs to her bedroom.

"Is anyone going to tell me what is going on here?"  Karen asked with her hands on her hips, having watched Stevie walk like a zombie, turning back to Lindsey.

"Karen," he began, "...they found us in Tahiti."

"What...?  No," arms resting at her side, shock on her face.

"Yes," nodded Lindsey, "...and I can't even begin to tell you how horrifying it was for me to wake up and find her gone."

"Gone...?!"

"Stevie went out to grab us breakfast across the street at the resort, they planned it out so perfectly, using a black SUV to pull up in front of her at the perfect timing. They told her that I specifically asked them to be pick her up to be brought back to the beach house, she believed them, then they took off with her for two days. I panicked - I literally thought that I was going to lose her and if it wasn't for that one officer recognizing the place they took her to, which they sent these disgusting videos and photos of what they were doing to her - I was ready to jump in to a car and kill them, though I had no clue where to go!  There was absolutely no reason to do what they did other than put me in to a severe state of fear, which it worked, I wasn't sure how much longer I could take having police wander the island with out no sign of her anywhere!"

"Oh my God," gasped Karen, one hand to her forehead, "...what did they do to her?"

"They violated her - completely treated her as if she was not human, like she had no feelings at all! She was tied to a fvcking chair when I found her, in tears, hadn't eaten much of anything..." Lindsey's bottom lip trembled as he tried not to cry. "I almost killed one of the men myself but the police broke down the door before I could."

"I thought you said that another officer recognized the location?"

"They did but I begged them to let me come with, I just couldn't not do anything while I sat in a cop car to wait - I heard gun shots over the radio with her scream, no chance in hell I'd not attempt my own rescue! I feared the worst and when I entered that beat up old house, seeing two dead men and the man that touched Stevie hemorrhaging, well I couldn't contain my anger..." feeling his bloodpressure rising.

"What did you do?" touching his arm slightly.

"I kicked his gun away, picked up a piece of wood and starting wailing it against his head - I would have killed him but the cops stopped me, he later died at the hospital. They're all dead, every single one of the those pieces of sh1t got what they deserved," gritting his teeth, "...but now it's left Stevie with these emotional fits of fear."