052

052
Chapter 52 

The sun was warm, and a light breeze rustled the trees. Kathryn let out a slow breath as they walked, taking it all in. 

“See? Feels nice, right?” Trisha said, glancing over at her. 

Kathryn nodded slowly. “I guess it’s not so bad.” 

“Not so bad?” Trisha laughed. “Please. I know you’re enjoying this.” 

A faint smile crept onto Kathryn’s face. “Maybe a little.” 

Trisha looked at her, her voice softening. “You’ve been through a lot, Kath. I know you don’t like to talk about it, but you’re back now. That’s all that matters.” 

Kathryn glanced down, her steps slowing a bit. “It’s just... sometimes I don’t know if I’m ready. Being here again... it’s not easy.” 

Trisha squeezed her arm gently. “One step at a time. That’s all you need to do. And when you don’t feel strong enough, I’ll remind you that you are.” 

Kathryn looked at her sister, her throat tightening for a second. “Thanks, Trish. You always know what to say.” 

“Of course I do. It’s my job as your annoying little sister,” Trisha teased with a grin. 

Kathryn chuckled softly, shaking her head. They kept walking, the silence between them calm and comforting. 

As Trisha and Kathryn walked down the quiet street, the only sounds were their soft footsteps and the faint rustle of leaves. 

The neighborhood felt calm, almost too calm. Kathryn held her baby bump with one hand. 

Suddenly, the deep hum of an engine broke the silence. A black SUV rolled up slowly, its tires crunching the gravel before it screeched to a stop right in front of them. Kathryn froze, her breath caught in her throat. 

“What’s going on?” Kathryn whispered, panic creeping into her voice. 

Trisha grabbed her arm, pulling her back instinctively. “Stay close to me.” 

Before they could even think, two men climbed out of the car. They were big, broad shoulders, dark expressions, and they moved like they’d done this a hundred times before. No hesitation. 

“Hey!” Trisha barked, stepping in front of Kathryn like a shield. Her voice was firm, protective, but Kathryn could hear the shake in it. “What do you want?” 

The men didn’t answer. They just kept walking toward them, their eyes locked on Kathryn. Trisha quickly tried to guide her sister back, pushing her gently behind her. 

“Stay behind me,” Trisha said again, but her voice wasn’t as steady this time. 

One of the men suddenly lunged. Trisha threw herself at him, swinging her fists wildly. “Get back!” she yelled, trying to hold her ground. 

It didn’t matter. The man shoved her with a brutal force, sending her sprawling to the ground. She hit the pavement hard, her body going limp. 

“Trisha!” Kathryn screamed, her legs trembling as she dropped to her knees beside her sister. “Trisha, wake up!” 

Rough hands grabbed her arms from behind, yanking her to her feet. Kathryn screamed, kicking and twisting, but the man’s grip was unshakable. 

“Let me go! Please!” she cried, trying to pull away. She turned her head back to look at Trisha, who wasn’t moving. “Trisha! Help me!” 

“Stop struggling,” one of the men growled, his voice low and harsh. 

“Let me go! Don’t do this!” Kathryn screamed, her heart pounding so hard it felt like it would burst. Tears streamed down her face as she fought against the pull, but they dragged her toward the car like she weighed nothing. 

“Somebody help me!” she cried, her voice cracking. 

The man shoved her into the backseat of the car. Kathryn clawed at the door, desperate to get out, but before she could move, the door slammed shut behind her. 

“No! No!” she sobbed, banging her fists against the window. Through the glass, she could still see Trisha lying on the pavement, still not moving. 

The SUV’s engine roared to life, and they sped off. Kathryn pressed her hands to the glass, tears blurring her vision. “Please, stop! Where are you taking me?” 

The man in the passenger seat turned to look at her. His face was blank, like none of this mattered. “Quiet,” he said flatly before turning back around. 

Kathryn slid back against the seat, shaking, her mind racing. Trisha… She couldn’t stop thinking about her sister, lying there alone. What if no one found her in time? What if… 

She gasped for breath, her chest tightening as the car sped faster and faster. “Who are you?” she whispered, her voice small and broken. “Why are you doing this?” 

No one answered. The men didn’t even look at her. 

Kathryn curled into herself, tears still streaming down her face. She clutched her stomach protectively. 

“Who sent you?” Kathryn yelled. 

“Quiet!” One of the voices roared authoritatively, making Kathryn quiet. 

Trisha’s eyes fluttered open, and for a moment, everything was spinning. The ache in her head was sharp, pounding like a drumbeat in her skull. She blinked hard, trying to focus, but all she saw was the ground beneath her. She groaned softly, dragging herself up until she was sitting. 

Then it hit her like a brick. 

Kathryn. 

Her eyes widened as she spun around, searching desperately. The street was empty. No car. No Kathryn. Nothing. 

“Kathryn?” Her voice cracked, barely a whisper. Her heart slammed against her chest, and she forced herself to stand, ignoring the way her legs wobbled. She turned in every direction, hands cupping her mouth as she screamed louder this time, “Kathryn!” 

The silence that followed was deafening. 

Panic set in. 

She staggered forward and nearly stumbled, but then her eyes caught sight of something familiar, her phone, lying a few feet away on the pavement. She rushed to it, fingers shaking so hard it took her two tries to pick it up. 

“Please work, please work...” she mumbled, pressing the power button. The screen flickered on, and she gasped in relief. Her thumb flew over the screen as she scrolled through her contacts, her breath coming in sharp bursts. 

“Lyon... Lyon... where’s Lyon’s number?” 

Her vision blurred with tears as she scrolled too fast, swiping past it. “No, no, no!” she yelled, swiping back, her thumb slipping on the screen. 

Finally, there it was. 

She hit Call and pressed the phone to her ear, her chest rising and falling like she couldn’t catch her breath. The ringing felt endless. 

“Pick up, Lyon. Please. Pick up...” 

The call connected. “Trisha?” Lyon’s voice came through, calm but confused. 

“Lyon!” Trisha’s voice cracked. “They took her! Kathryn’s gone!” 

“What?” Lyon’s voice sharpened instantly. “What are you talking about? Who took her?” 

“We were walking,” Trisha choked out, words tumbling over each other. “A car, this black car just pulled up out of nowhere. These... These men jumped out. I tried to stop them, Lyon! I swear I tried, but they knocked me out. And when I woke up, she was gone, Lyon! They took Kathryn!” 

The other end of the line went dead silent. Trisha could hear Lyon breathing, heavy and fast. “Are you okay?” he asked finally, his voice low but tight with panic. “Where are you now?” 

“I… I don’t know. I’m on the street. I don’t see anyone. Lyon, she’s gone...” 

“Listen to me,” Lyon said firmly. “Stay where you are. I’m coming to get you. Don’t move, Trisha. I’m on my way.” 

Before she could say anything, the line went dead. 

Trisha pulled the phone from her ear and stared at the blank screen. “No...” she whispered, pressing the power button frantically. “No, no, not now!” The battery was dead. 

Her knees buckled, and she sank onto the curb, burying her face in her hands. Tears streamed down her cheeks as her chest heaved. The street was still empty. 

Silent. 

She glanced up, scanning for someone, anyone, but the houses were quiet, their windows staring blankly at her like they’d seen nothing. Her hands balled into fists against her thighs. 

Trisha staggered toward the house, her legs weak, her breath ragged like she’d been running for hours. The gate creaked open, and the gate man stepped out, frowning as he saw her. 

“Ma’am, are you alright?” he asked, his voice cautious, but Trisha didn’t answer. She barely even noticed him. She pushed past the gate and kept walking, her eyes blank, her face pale like she’d seen something she couldn’t unsee. 

The sound of the front door opening made her look up. Fiona appeared on the porch, her kitchen apron still tied around her waist, a dishcloth in her hand. The moment she saw Trisha, she froze. 

“Trisha?” Fiona’s voice was sharp with worry as she rushed forward. “What happened to you? Are you okay?” 

Trisha didn’t stop moving, didn’t speak. Fiona grabbed her arms gently, forcing her to stand still. Her eyes scanned Trisha’s face, her hair scattered, her trembling lips, the far-off look in her eyes. 

“Trisha, you’re scaring me,” Fiona said, her voice lower, urgent. “What’s going on? Where’s Kathryn?” 

At the mention of Kathryn, something in Trisha cracked. Her shoulders slumped, and her voice broke as the words spilled out. 

“They took her.” 

Fiona’s grip tightened. “What do you mean they took her?” 

Trisha lifted her eyes to meet Fiona’s, and there was so much guilt, so much pain in them that Fiona’s chest tightened. 

“They came out of nowhere, Fiona,” she said, her voice shaking. “We were walking, and this car pulled up... two men... big, strong. I tried to stop them. I tried. They knocked me down, and by the time I got up, they were already gone. They took her, Fiona.” 

Fiona’s face was drained of color. She let go of Trisha’s arms and stepped back, as though the words had physically struck her. “No... no, no, no...” she whispered, her head shaking like she could deny it. 

“I couldn’t stop them,” Trisha whispered, her voice cracking. “I couldn’t...” 

Fiona spun around, her mind racing as she stormed back toward the house. “I need to call Lyon,” she muttered to herself, panic rising in her chest. “We need to do something.” 

Trisha watched her go, feeling like she was moving in slow motion. She sank down onto the steps of the porch, burying her face in her hands. “They took her,” she whispered to herself, the words hitting harder each time she said them. 

Inside, Fiona’s voice echoed through the house as she searched for her phone. Trisha just sat there, shaking, tears streaking her face. 

Her hands clenched in her lap as images of the men flashed through her mind, the way they grabbed Kathryn, the sound of the car door slamming shut, the look on Kathryn’s face as she disappeared. 

The breeze stirred the trees around her, the soft rustling of leaves a cruel reminder of how normal everything else seemed. But for Trisha, nothing felt normal anymore. 

“They took her...” she said again, barely a whisper, her voice drowning in the quiet of the empty yard. 

Lyon’s car screeched into the driveway, the tires grinding on the gravel as it came to a sudden stop. 

Trisha flinched, her heart pounding in her chest, and Fiona turned quickly, her eyes wide as Lyon jumped out of the car, his face tight with worry. 

Martins was right behind him, both men moving quickly toward where Trisha sat. 

“Trisha!” Lyon called out, his voice sharp and filled with urgency. His eyes were frantic as he scanned the area, taking in the emptiness around them. “What happened? Where’s Kathryn?” 

Trisha struggled to stand, her legs shaking beneath her. She blinked back tears, her chest tight as she tried to find the words. 

She’d never felt so helpless. “I don’t know... I don’t know them.” She choked on her words. “Two men... came out of nowhere. Knocked me out. Took her... took Kathryn...” Her voice cracked, and she sank back down to the ground, her hands trembling in her lap. 

Lyon’s face twisted with frustration, and he ran a hand through his hair, pacing back and forth. 

“Damm it!” he muttered.