Awe-Struck, Book 2 Read online

  “Hey, what did I do?!” Gabe ran after her.

  “It’s what you didn’t do, Gabriel.” Sunny turned to face him.

  “Are you kidding me?!” Gabe looked shocked.

  “First you rip me a new one for contacting your mother, which I did for you, with the best of intentions. And now you let that woman caress all over you in front of me like I’m not even fucking there!” Sunny exclaimed. “I’m not an irrationally jealous female, but sorry that shit hurt, Gabriel.” Tears threatened Sunny’s eyes for the second time that night. “You know what, don’t worry about it, I’m fine. Let’s just find our seats.” Sunny turned away and Gabe followed guiltily.

  They didn’t really get a chance to talk again once the show started. It went fairly quickly with the presenting of awards and performances, which Sunny was grateful. She knew her and Gabe needed to talk, she hated having this barrier between them, though Gabe continued to keep the physical contact between them. He held her hand caressing it gently with his thumb throughout the show.

  The presenters for Best Male Performance came out and as they listed the nominees, Sunny squeezed Gabe’s hand showing her support and encouragement.

  “And the winner for Best Male Performance is…Gabriel Wolf for Clutch!” The presenters yelled into the microphone in unison.

  “Congratulations, baby!” Sunny grinned at Gabe brightly, forgetting their problems in the moment.

  He grabbed her face and kissed her deeply on the lips in front of the cameras and the whole audience, before jumping up to climb the stage to receive his golden popcorn. Sunny blushed to her roots as the camera stayed on her a little longer.

  “Thank you!” Gabe started. “I just wanted to thank the cast and crew of Clutch. For making if fun for me to crash into crap and destroy stuff. I’d also like to thank the fans for keeping me employed. And to my Sweet Girl, you’ve brought back my passion for this and life in general, and for that I can’t thank you enough. Just bear with me when I’m being a total jackass.” Gabe looked to where Sunny was sitting as the audience guffawed in surprised laughter.

  Sunny grinned back at him and nodded her head letting him know she acknowledged the apology, forgiving him instantly for being said ‘jackass’ earlier. Gabe held up his golden popcorn and headed off the stage.

  Sunny was tapped on the shoulder a few minutes later, by an usher.

  “Ms. Stone?” He asked.

  “Yes?” Sunny looked up.

  “Mr. Wolf is requesting your presence in the press room.” The usher said, gesturing for her to follow him.

  “Oh, okay. Thank you.” Sunny said getting up from her seat.

  Sunny followed the young man around the theater and to a side door. He held the door for her.

  “It’s at the end of the hallway.”

  Once Sunny stepped inside, he closed the door and semi-darkness enveloped her and that same feeling of unease she felt at the bar came over her.

  “Ah Ms. Stone, you’re looking as plump and ripe as ever.” A voice whispered next to her ear. Josiah!

  Sunny jumped at the proximity of his voice. Before she could turn and run she was grabbed around the waist from behind and a large hand came down covering her face with a sickly sweet smelling cloth. She tried to kick back, hoping to connect with a shin or something valuable. But panic and genuine terror filled her as her world started to go black.

  Chapter 10

  Sunny heard the sounds of car alarms, loud honking and sirens. Since when did it get so loud in our neighborhood? Sunny’s eyes slowly opened, though it was difficult because they felt so heavy. Her mouth felt like cotton was stuffed in it. When her eyes were able to focus, she stared up at a dingy cracked ceiling. Shit! Sunny’s eyes flew open fully and her head whipped to the side to see Josiah sitting in a chair looking down at her with a satisfied sneer on his face.

  Sunny tried to jump up, but was restrained. She looked around and realized that she was lying on an unmade mattress that was on the floor of a tiny crappy apartment. Ropes were tied around her wrists and ankles forcing her in a spread eagle position. She was slightly relieved to see that she was still dressed. But that relief was to be short lived.

  “Good. You’re finally awake. This wouldn’t be much fun if you missed it.” Josiah said, getting up from his seat and kneeling on the bed.

  Sunny tried to move away from him, but the ropes bit into her skin. Her freshly healed arm ached from the restraint. As Josiah moved closer to her she saw the glint of metal in his hand.

  “Oh, do you like my toy? Don’t worry I’m not going to use this on you…yet?” A sinister smile crossed his face as he brought the large blade of a knife up to her face turning it this way and that, taunting her.

  “Please Josiah! Why are you doing this?” Sunny pleaded.

  “You fucking know why. You and your fucking boyfriend destroyed my life! And if he loves you so fucking much, what I’m going to do to you will destroy him too.” Josiah said bringing the knife closer to her face.

  “Oh God! Please Josiah, don’t do this! HELP!” Sunny finally screamed.

  “Shut the fuck up!” Josiah shouted in her face before he slammed the handle of the knife across on her eye.

  Sunny cried out loudly and she felt warm liquid trickle down her face as her eye throbbed. Almost instantly she felt her eye start to swell close. He shoved a rag in her mouth to silence her cries. Then she felt the cold steel against her face. Josiah slid the blunt end of the blade down her cheek to her neck, and then traveled down to the bust line of her dress. He lifted the material and slid the blade underneath and cut into the fabric and sliced it all the way down the middle.

  He parted the now shredded dress baring her bustier and panties. Sunny turned her head away, unable to look at him. That’s when she saw the collage of pictures of her and Gabe. Tears slid down her cheeks. Oh God! This isn’t happening. Please, tell me this isn’t happening.

  “Oh I can’t wait to feel what the hype is all about. Your pussy must be made of gold for Gabe to act like such a fucking pansy. And after all he’s taken from me; I might as well get a taste of all of what he has.” Josiah bent down and licked the top of her breasts that overflowed from the strapless bustier.

  Sunny went wild, trying to buck him off of her. She screamed against the rag in her mouth and glared at him with hatred.

  “Yes, struggle. That’ll make fucking you so much better.” Josiah said gleefully.

  Taking the knife, he again ripped through the bustier and panties, leaving her naked. Sunny sobbed behind the cloth stuffed in her mouth. She couldn’t believe that this was happening to her. As she felt Josiah’s hands run down her naked body she closed her eyes trying to picture Gabe, trying to find her happy place hoping it would help her live through the worst moment of her life or what life she had left.

  “God! I’ve never fucked a fat chick before, but your body does look perfect for fucking senseless, like you could take a good pounding.” Josiah said as he stood up over her.

  Sunny looked up just as he unbuckled his belt and dropped his pants. He stroked his hard erection as he stared at her with eyes filled with lust. Oh God…oh God…oh God! Please let someone find me! Sunny turned her face away from the sight of Josiah rubbing himself over her. Her eyes connected with her little clutch purse that lay on the floor near a dirty ripped couch. She knew her phone was in it and that the GPS tracking was on. GABE! Please hurry! Please fine me!

  ~~~

  Gabe walked back to his seat, ready to take Sunny home early, get down on both knees and apologize, and have incredible makeup sex. He sauntered up to their aisle and the moment he saw Sunny’s empty seat, dread coursed through his bloodstream. Don’t freak out, she probably just went to the bathroom.

  He turned around and strode back out of the auditorium and to the bathroom area. He hovered near the door to the ladies’ room for a second, trying to decide whether to go in or not. Something told him to go in and check and he didn’t question it.

  S
triding in not caring who he offended or what he saw.

  “Sunny!” Gabe shouted her name, but there was no response except for the yelp of a few females reapplying makeup at the mirror, shocked at the intrusion.

  Then he remembered about the tracking they had downloaded on her phone. He tapped the App and the moment he saw that she was several miles away somewhere near downtown L.A., Gabe’s blood turned to ice. His heart stopped and when it restarted a second later adrenaline pounded through his veins sending him running full speed out the theater.

  Gabe ran to the street forgetting that he didn’t have a car as he searched his pockets for his keys. FUCK! He sprinted over to a cab, jumped into the back and threw several hundred dollar bills at the driver.

  “I’m going to eighth and San Pedro.” Gabe said looking down at his phone seeing where the tracker had stopped. “I need to you to get there as quickly as possible, like your fucking life depends on it! Is that clear?” Gabe practically growled wanting no arguments.

  “Whatever you say buddy.” The cabbie replied looking down at the money.

  “Good. Head south on Highland. And don’t worry about speeding. I want the cops to come anyway.” Gabe instructed the cabbie.

  “Hey aren’t you that famous actor guy?” The cabbie asked looking at Gabe through the rearview mirror.

  “I’m not playing ‘getting to know you’ or ‘twenty questions’ right now. If you get me where I need to be in time I’ll give you ten grand, now start driving!” Gabe yelled.

  “Fuck yeah!” The cab driver faced forward completely and put the petal to the metal, throwing Gabe back against the seat.

  Gabe pulled out his cell and dialed Detective Hernandez, putting the phone on speaker so that he could talk and track Sunny at the same time.

  “Hernandez.” The detective answered.

  “He’s got Sunny!” Gabe wasted no time getting to the point.

  “Josiah?” Hernandez asked.

  “Yes. I’m tracking Sunny’s phone and heading that way now.” Gabe said in a rushed voice.

  “Gabe, you have to wait for us! You can’t just take the law in your own hands.” Hernandez reasoned.

  “There’s no fucking way I’m waiting for you guys to get there when you’re all the way in Long Beach. God knows what the fuck that sick bastard is going to do to her. I can’t lose her detective.” Gabe nearly sobbed.

  “Okay Gabe. We’re on our way now. Where are you now?” Hernandez said calmly.

  “In L.A., I’m headed south down Highland Avenue. It looks like they stopped on the corner of Eighth and San Pedro.” Gabe panicked, praying that he’d get there in time before Josiah did anything to Sunny.

  “Okay, we’re actually not that far from you. We’ll be there soon.” Hernandez informed him.

  “You need to inform the rest of the authorities because I’m in a cab and we’re breaking every law possible and we’re not stopping for anyone.” Gabe informed the detective.

  “Rhodes is calling it in now. You’ll have an escort in a few minutes.” Hernandez responded.

  “And let them know not to fucking get in my way or try to stop me from getting to her.” Gabe warned.

  “Alright, Gabe.” Hernandez sighed, knowing there was nothing he could say to change the man’s mind.

  “Okay. You should have several units escorting you any minute and I’ll send some straight there.” Hernandez said.

  Just as the detective finished his statement, several cop cars surrounded the cab with their lights flashing and sirens blaring.

  “Okay, the cops are here, so floor it!” Gabe shouted at the cab driver.

  With the police escort, they were able to make it to their destination within minutes. Gabe threw open the door to the cab and ran break neck to a rundown building. A convenience store was on the bottom floor and he saw a door into the building. He slammed through it and into a darkened entryway with a stairwell up to the second floor and the apartments above the store. Gabe took the stairs two at a time.

  Once he got to the top, there was a little Hispanic kid playing with toy cars in the hall. The moment he saw Gabe run up with the cops quick on his tail, he pointed in the direction of a door down the hall. Gabe realized that he must have seen Josiah with Sunny, and he vowed that if the kid was still there when this was over, that he wouldn’t have to worry about money for the rest of his life.

  Gabe ran up to the door the boy pointed to and pressed his ear to the door, he could hear the low rumble of a male voice. That was enough proof for him, he jiggled the doorknob but it was locked. So with all of his force he slammed his shoulder into the door, it was flimsy and gave with little effort.

  Stumbling into the tiny apartment, he frantically looked around, his eyes almost instantly focused in on the occupants in the makeshift bed on the floor. To his horror Sunny was in the middle of the bed spread wide and tied down completely naked and her left eye was swollen shut and bleeding. The look in her good eye when their eyes met destroyed him.

  Josiah was kneeling between her thighs with his pants down around his ankles; the look on his face was complete shock at being found. Gabe took all this in in only a fraction of a second before he was blinded by a rage that surpassed any he’d had felt previously.

  He heard a loud guttural roar as he charged the bed and realized that it was him. He tackled Josiah to the floor and his fists flew into the man’s face over and over again. He vaguely heard the crunch of skin and bone and didn’t know if it was his hands or Josiah’s face, but he didn’t care. He intended to kill the man.

  Several arms grabbed at him, trying to pull him off the unconscious man. He just flung them off like ragdolls. His strength and rage was no match for the officers.

  “Gabe! You have to stop! If you kill him you will go to prison.” He heard Hernandez’s voice in his ear as he tried to fling the man off of him. “Sunny needs you.”

  The mention of her name was the only thing that finally got him to stop. He looked back at the mattress and Sunny was now untied and wrapped in a sheet. Tears streamed down one side of her face from her good eye as she clutched the sheet to her naked body. His heart broke at the sight of her devastated and bruised face.

  Instantly Gabe felt guilt over not going to her first to make sure she was alright and let the cops handle Josiah. He looked down at Josiah’s mangled and bloody face. Gabe’s chest heaved with heavy breaths and the adrenaline flowing through him. He turned to crawl over to her and she gasped.

  “Gabe! He stabbed you!” Sunny cried.

  Gabe looked down and saw the handle of a knife sticking out of his left side. For the first time he felt the piercing pain. The adrenaline had kept him from feeling it, though the pain didn’t stop him from going to Sunny. He pulled the knife out and threw it to the floor before going to her. Sunny balled up part of the sheet covering her and pressed it to his wound.

  “God Sunny, I’m so sorry!” Gabe knelt in front of her.

  He lifted his hands to brush her now wild curls from her face, but he stopped when he saw his bloody hands. He quickly wiped his hands on his suit, not caring about the expensive fabric. When the excess blood was wiped away he gently cupped her face as she sobbed.

  “I was…so…so scared!” Sunny choked out.

  “I know baby. I’m sorry. I tried to get here as fast as I could. Did he…did he…” Gabe couldn’t finish the thought.

  “N…no. You got h…here…before he could.” Sunny cried, understanding what he was trying to say.

  Her body began to rack with tremors, Gabe tried to embrace her, but the sting of the stab wound made him hiss.

  “Gabriel! Are you okay?” Sunny exclaimed.

  “I’m fine.” Gabe grimaced.

  “Gabe, you need medical attention. The paramedics are here.” Hernandez said.

  Gabe looked back to see Josiah being loaded onto a stretcher. He wished it was a body-bag. More paramedics came up to him to get him on another stretcher.

  “I’m fine I can wa
lk.” Gabe said standing up.

  Sunny stood as well, trying to help him to take some of the weight off of his side for him. Sunny gripping her sheet to her and Gabe clutching his wound, they slowly made their way down the stairs and outside where a crowd had gathered and flashing lights of the ambulances and cop cars assaulted their senses.

  Gabe was grateful to the cops for surrounding them, shielding them from the flashing cameras of the paparazzi, especially since Sunny was only wrapped in a sheet.

  Gabe gingerly stepped into the back of the ambulance holding his side, Sunny crawled in after him.

  “You did good setting up that tracking on Sunny’s phone.” Detective Rhodes complimented as he and Hernandez stood outside of the ambulance.

  “Thanks. Oh hey, can you get the cab driver’s info and the little boy who pointed out what apartment Sunny was in. I owe them big time and I intend to make sure they’re taken care of.” Gabe said to the men.

  “Will do.” Hernandez said before closing the doors to the ambulance.

  ~~~

  Sunny was taken to x-ray while Gabe was in surgery getting sown up from the stab wound, which miraculously hadn’t struck anything vital. The doctor tending to her cleaned and examined her eye, putting in a few stitches right below her eyebrow where the knife handle had split it open. She had even been thoughtful enough to bring Sunny some green hospital scrubs to replace her sheet.

  “It doesn’t look as if any other damage was done to your eye. There are no bone fractures. So everything should heal up just fine.” The doctor said as she looked at the x-rays.

  “Thank you, doctor.” Sunny said holding a cold compress up to her swollen eye.

  “Oh and by the way, the whole hospital has been watching you guys since the first story rolled out about you two. And we are huge fans of you, and you two together as a couple. It’s about time the underdog gets the guy. You have inspired so many women here to be themselves, to be more accepting of their bodies. And I’m sure there are more than just us out there that you’ve inspired. You’ve been so brave through all of this mess. It’ll be worth it when it’s all over.” The doctor said kindly before walking out of the curtained off ER room.