Page 35 of Saving Tracey (Finding Hope #1)

Chapter Nineteen

" T race," I heard a little boy’s voice whispering close to my ear. "Trace, wake up, please."

I blinked awake, jumping a little when I saw Lucas right in front of me, his face inches from mine. "Hey, buddy," I whispered, noticing Trevor was still asleep. "What's wrong?" I asked him, sitting up on my elbows slightly.

"Someone is here to see you." I frowned. "They told me not to tell anyone but you."

Dread and fear curled in the pit of my stomach.

Nobody would specifically request that unless they were trying to not be caught.

I sat up, thankful that I had on a long t-shirt instead of being naked.

I fought down the blush on my face when I thought of Trevor waking me up a couple of hours ago for more sex.

"Wake Trevor up," I whispered, "and tell him to come downstairs very quietly."

He nodded, and I got out of bed, snatching a pair of Trevor's sweatpants off the floor and pulling them on hastily.

I had a terrible feeling about who was waiting on me at the front door, but I had to do this to protect the people I cared about.

I had to do this to put him back behind bars for good.

I had to do this for myself.

I slowly walked out of the room, my heart pounding wildly in my chest in fear and nervousness.

Someone unexpectedly grabbed my arm, and I almost shrieked in fear until someone's hand slapped over my mouth.

" Shh ," Trevor whispered into my ear. He turned me around to face him, and I could almost make out the absolute fury painting his face through the light shining in through one of the windows in the hallway.

"Have you gone out of your fucking mind?"

I shook my head at him. "Trevor, if it's him, I have to get him back behind bars," I whispered, my tone desperate. I needed him to understand what I was trying to do.

He clenched his jaw, the torment in his eyes clear as he debated his next words. Finally, he grabbed my face in his hands and kissed me, his lips rough and demanding against mine. "I am right behind you, do you understand? I won't fucking risk him getting his goddamn hands on you again."

I nodded in understanding. He held his phone up for me to see the 911 number on his phone.

He put his fingers to his lips, silently telling me to be quiet, and slipped his phone back into his pocket.

I swallowed hard and turned away from him, quietly walking down the stairs, thanking God with every step that I took that their floorboards didn't creak.

When I finally reached the bottom, I froze in fear, my muscles practically seizing.

Standing in the open doorway to the house was none other than my father.

His large frame filled the doorway, the outline of his body illuminated by the moonlight and the porch light.

My throat closed up, and air refused to reach my lungs.

"Tracey, get over here. We're going home."

My hands started sweating, and I clutched the staircase banister with both of my hands, my knees turning weak. Nausea began rolling through my stomach.

I was so fucking stupid.

I couldn't do this. I couldn't face him. Every fear I had ever had around this man was hitting me full force.

I was still so fucking weak.

I didn't know where Trevor was. He was hidden in the shadows. I knew he said he would be right behind me, but I was panicking. I could barely think straight anymore.

My dad stepped into the house, and the little bit of lighting in the living room lit up his face.

He was furious, and he looked rough. He had a cut under his eye, and his lip was split open.

His face was badly bruised, and he was sporting a beard, but I could see the discoloration popping out of his beard line.

"You stupid, foolish girl,” he whispered as he drew closer to me.

I could barely hear him over the pounding in my ears.

I could only stand there wide-eyed. "Do you know what that stupid boy did to me after I found you that day?

That boy—Gabriel, I think his name was—fucking hunted me down and beat the fuck out of me.

Did you run your mouth to him like you did everyone else, princess? "

By now, he was standing right in front of me, and the smell of his breath almost knocked me back onto my ass. "This time, I'm going to make sure you don't tell another fucking soul anything.” He leaned in closer. “Because you won’t have a fucking tongue to speak with.”

He reached for me, but suddenly, Trevor came out of nowhere. He grabbed the front of my dad's shirt and practically tossed him halfway across the room before he shoved his phone into my hands. "The police are almost here,” he rushed out before he moved away from me again.

He went across the room to where my dad was getting up off of the floor. Trevor swung his fists, knocking my dad back down again. I winced when I heard a body crash through the glass coffee table, my dad’s roar of pain following right after.

Footsteps came pounding down the stairs, and I slid down the staircase banister, landing hard on my ass, but I barely felt it. Tears fell down my face as the panic wore off. I could still hear Trevor beating my dad into a bloody pulp, but I didn't care.

Glenda knelt in front of me, and Olivia sat next to me, pulling me into a comforting hug. "Are you okay?" Glenda ran her hand over my hair, trying her best to comfort me.

I just started crying harder. I looked up when I heard Dale start shouting. "Trevor, get off of him! He's unconscious! If you kill him, you'll go to jail, too!" he barked at his adopted son.

"Let me fucking kill him," Trevor growled, trying to get Dale off of him. "I want him to fucking suffer in the deepest pits of fucking hell for what he did to Tracey,” he snarled, sounding exactly like what I imagined the monsters in Lucas’s nightmares sounded like.

"Tracey needs you here!" Dale snapped at him, roughly shaking his shoulders to try to snap Trevor out of the blinding rage he was feeling. "Trevor, look at her! She fucking needs you!"

Trevor looked over at me and deflated, running his swelling hands down his face.

Sirens reached my ears as the cops pulled up in front of the house.

Olivia helped me up to my shaky feet at the same time Trevor walked over to me, pulling me into his arms, his muscles flexing as he tightened his arms.

"You did great, baby." He held me tightly. "I'm so fucking proud of you."

I clutched his shirt in my fists, and he kissed the top of my head.

Officer Henry walked over to us, offering me a small smile.

“It’s over, Tracey.” My body sagged in relief, and Trevor tightened his arms to keep me from collapsing to the floor.

“The judge has already been contacted, and he has assured us and given us his word that neither your dad nor your mom will ever get out of jail for many, many years. "

I breathed a sigh of relief, the fight draining out of me. I was tired and exhausted. I needed sleep and a hell of a lot of rest.

Officer Henry shook Trevor's swollen and bloody hand and walked over to where the other officers were, talking to Dale and Glenda. Trevor knelt down and lifted me up into his arms, cradling me to his chest. "Let's get you back in bed, baby.”

I leaned my head on his shoulder, letting my eyes droop closed, passing out in his swaying arms.

TREVOR

When I laid Tracey on the bed, she was already fast asleep.

I clenched my jaw as I ran my eyes over her, thinking of what could have happened to her if she had been dumb and gone downstairs by herself.

I would never forget the fear in her eyes when she looked at her dad.

She had completely shut down. He could have taken her, done anything to her, and she would have complied because of her fear of him.

Jesus Christ, what if Lucas hadn't woken me up in time?

I ran my fingers through my hair roughly, pulling on the ends to the point it was painful.

I had never been so scared in my fucking life since I was thirteen fucking years old.

If Dale hadn't stopped me, I would have killed the son of a bitch, and I would have laughed in his fucking face as I watched the life drain from his eyes.

No one—not a goddamn soul—put their hands on my girl or threatened her and lived to tell the fucking tale.

He was so fucking lucky Dale was there .

Lucas tiptoed into my room, his bottom lip quivering, struggling not to burst into tears. I sighed and knelt down in front of him, pushing his messy, dark locks out of his face. "Hey kiddo, don't cry," I murmured, keeping my voice low so I wouldn't wake Tracey up.

"Trace almost got hurt because of me." He whimpered, a tear falling out of his eye. I quickly brushed it away. "I didn't mean to get her hurt, Trev."

I pulled him into my arms, giving him a huge hug.

"You were only doing what the scary man told you to, and you were smart for that.

" I moved him back so I could look down into his face.

"Just next time someone comes knocking on the door, don't answer it, okay?

Come get me or someone else, but don't ever answer the door. "

He nodded. Glenda and Dale appeared in my doorway, and Glenda gave me a small smile before she looked down at Lucas. "Hey, Luc, let's go back to bed, okay?"

He nodded, walking over to her. She grabbed his little hand in hers and walked with him down the hallway, asking him what movie he wanted her to put in for him.

I sighed as I looked at Dale. "Don't lecture me," I muttered.

"I don't fucking regret almost fucking killing him, and I never will.” I meant every word from the bottom of my fucking soul because if I had the chance to do it all over again, I fucking would.

Dale shook his head. "I just wanted to come tell you that you might want to put some ice on your knuckles, or you won't be able to use your hands much in the morning."

He tossed me two ice packs, and I caught them easily in my hands.

"Angelina called and told me that they're going to want Tracey at the courthouse tomorrow.

They're holding a hearing for her dad at about two o’clock.

They need her to testify against him and her mother, and they'll need you and Gabriel there, too. "

My eyebrows pulled together in confusion at his words. "Why Gabriel?"

"The dispatcher heard over the phone call that Gabriel apparently beat the hell out of her dad, and there's a chance he'll go to jail for a little while for withholding information from the police."

I looked at Dale incredulously. Don't get me wrong, I was pissed that Gabriel hadn't told me he knew where Tracey's dad was hiding, but I kind of understood it. "Gabriel doesn't work with the police. Everyone knows that."

Dale shrugged. "There's nothing anyone can do at this point. It's up to the judge to decide."

I gently sat down on my bed, putting the ice packs on my knuckles. "I'll call him in the morning and find out what the fuck is going on," I grumbled.

Dale nodded. "Get some rest. God knows Tracey is definitely going to need it. If she refuses to go to court to testify tomorrow, there is a chance they may walk."

I clenched my jaw. I would be damned if they ever fucking walked after what they did to her.

I looked over at Tracey. This beautiful girl had been through too much shit in her life. I didn't want her to go through anymore. I didn't want her to fear anything either, but I knew she had to go to court tomorrow to put her parents away for good.

I just fucking hoped she didn't freeze in fear in the courtroom like she had downstairs.

I slid my hand out from under the ice pack and pushed her hair back from her face, tucking it behind her ear. She sighed softly in her sleep, and I smiled a little when she subconsciously sought out my touch.

Tracey, baby, just know that I've always got you.