Things Change

Chapter Thirteen

***Beau***

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the little Brooks kid." Colby said in a mocking sing-song voice. "What are you doing around here? Shouldn't you be somewhere singing with your little boy group to a bunch of screaming six year olds?" He smirked.

"Where is she?" I growled as I angrily shrugged out of the two guys' grip. "Where did you put her?"

"What on earth are you talking about, Brooks?" He asked in an aloof manner. "You're babbling on like a fool." He and his thuggish friends let out a guttural chuckle.

Colby took a gulp out of the beer bottle he held in his hand like a trophy. He turned his back and began to walk away, but I ran after him and spun him around so that he was facing me.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about!" My jaw clenched harder with every word I spoke. "I know that you hurt her and I swear, if she's not breathing right now, I'll—"

Colby's blue eyes turned into a menacing glare as all of the blood in his face disappeared. He started to swagger away again.

"If I were you, I'd watch my tongue," He slurred his words, but the threatening tone was still excessively evident. He was the epitome of insolence, and it only made my blood boil hotter.

"Or what?" I challenged. I was unaffected by his arrogant rudeness and threats.

"Or, you'll be like him," Colby jerked his thumb towards the motionless body that had threatened to go to the authorities only moments before. The red stain on his left breast sent a cold shiver down my spine. I'd known that he had to be evil. All of the signs up to this point had directed me to believe that he was an infidel, but here and now my worst fears were proved. The raunchy person who stood next to me was a heartless heathen. Terrible scenes of what Kayleigh must have endured flashed through my mind like an Hi-Def movie. He cackled at my horrified expression and I glared at him.

"Just tell me where she is," I'd intended for my voice to come across cold and emotionless, but instead it sounded like a whispered plea.

"I told you, I don't know what you're talking abo—" All of the pent up anger I'd been harboring over the last several days took control and I slammed him against the brick wall behind us.

"Don't you lie to me, dammit. I know that you've kidnapped her and forced her out here to the middle of nowhere. I saw the cabin, I saw the pregnancy test. I know. Don't you dare lie to me, you son of a bitch." I spat at him before colliding my fist with his jaw and causing him to stumble.

Within seconds, Colby had regained his bearings and he returned the blow—twice as hard. Before I could realize what was happening, a full blown fight had broken out. I was throwing punches and kicking whatever got in my way, whenever I felt like it. I felt a hard blow against the back of my head. Right before I hit the pavement, I heard the sound of a shattering beer bottle. I held the lump that was forming on the back of my head as I opened and closed my eyes in an effort to cause my blurry vision to disappear. I felt a hard blow to my right side, followed by another on my left and I soon realized that Colby's posse had joined into the fight.

I groaned as I rolled to my side and tried to push myself off the ground. The adrenaline rush my anger had induced seemed to be subsiding and I was fully aware of every blow that I received. Taking a deep breath, I mustered every ounce of strength I had left and stood up. I tried hard to defend myself, but it was no use. Three against one is considered unfair in the eyes of anyone. I lay on the ground in bitter defeat, wincing at every kick and punch that was inflicted upon me.

In a moment of mere despair, Cassie's words echoed in my ear:

'I fell on my knees and prayed really hard and God made me see that it was out of my control, I had to trust in him and that's what you need to do too, Beau, throw your burdens on God.'