La Arquitecta

Chapter 32

After checking into his room at the hotel WWE had booked for him in New York, Seth had decided to chill out for an hour or so before going out to have a walk around the city. Lying on the bed, relaxing with a coffee in front of the sports news, he was enjoying the chance to unwind after his flight when his phone rang.

He picked the phone up from where it had been lying beside him on the bed and looked at the screen. He didn't have the number that was calling saved as a contact, and he didn't recognise it. "Hello?" he answered cautiously.

"Seth?" A woman's voice.

"Yeah. Who's this?"

"It's Laura Morton, Zelina's friend. Seth, I've got something to tell you, and I'm not really sure how to do it."

Now Seth recognised the voice. He had met Laura and her husband twice at parties with Zelina. He had quickly sat up as he heard what she had to say. Whatever had happened was bad news, and it had to concern Zelina if Laura was calling him. "What's happened?" he asked urgently. "Is Zelina okay?"

"Uh, not really, no," came the awkward reply.

"Just tell me what's happened," he demanded impatiently, getting more worried by the second.

"Okay, I'm trying." Laura paused for a second, presumably trying to find the right words. "Some guy broke into Zelina's house. At least, we think he did. It's weird, there's no signs of forced entry."

Seth felt his blood run cold. He had no idea how David Hernandez could have found where Zelina lived, but he instinctively knew that he was the guy they were talking about. "What did he do to her?" he asked, dreading the answer. "Tell me she's okay."

"Physically, she's okay," Laura said, to his immeasurable relief. "Dan and I got here just in time. He had her bound and gagged on her bed, and we think he was just about to rape her when Dan kicked the door in. We heard muffled screaming from upstairs when we came around to see her, knowing that she was home today."

Seth felt numb, unable to process what had happened to his girl. "What do you mean, you think he was going to rape her? What has Zelina said?"

"Uh, not much. The paramedics had to sedate her when they arrived. Seth, she was having a full-blown panic attack. We couldn't get her to calm down enough to talk to us. But the guy had stripped her underwear off her just before we showed up, so it's obvious what he was about to do. But, again, physically, she appears unharmed."

That was something, but Seth couldn't take much comfort in it. "What happened to the bastard? Was it a Hispanic guy with slicked back hair?" he asked icily, picturing himself beating David Hernandez's face to a bloody pulp.

"Yeah. You know the fucking guy?" Laura asked, surprised.

"He's Zelina's ex from years back, recently turned stalker. His name is David Hernandez. She has a restraining order against him. What happened to him? You said Dan kicked the door in, he must have still been in the house?"

"He was. He was just rushing down the stairs when we got through the door. He went for Dan with a knife, but luckily didn't manage to stab him. They fought, and Dan took a stiff punch from him. I think he has a broken nose. But then I smashed the asshole around the side of the head with a lamp and knocked him out. He was still out when the cops arrived, so they've arrested him and probably taken him for treatment somewhere, I assume."

"Where's Zelina?" Seth asked next.

"Being taken to hospital in an ambulance. Dan went with her. I'm at her house, waiting for someone to show up and take care of the door. Seth, I don't know where you are, but you need to get here, fast."