Cherry Locked Ch. 11-15

The monitor clocks my heart rate at 170. Brad turns to me. He has the most feral eyes I've ever seen. One belonging to an animal...a predator on the hunt. What's that look?? It doesn't make sense! Am I still dreaming?? "Brad...???" His nostrils flare, and his fists ball. "I'm gonna make this right." He stomps to an end table, swiping his keys from it.

My heart drums. It beats so fast that I'm sure I'm close to cardiac arrest. The monitor has the flat-lining tone again. "NOO!!" I shout raspily. "DON'T!!" Brad dismisses my desperate plea. He charges to the door with a brutish stride. "PLEASE, BRAD???!! COME BACK!!" I swing my legs to the edge of the bed and wobble to my feet. I end up falling. I'm too crippled by my nerves to drive my body. I heave in a wad of air. "LILY!!!!" I screech.

My heartbeat vanishes from my ribcage. My eyes blur. My ears muffles. I fight to stay conscious. I can't slip away! "MADDY??!! WHAT'S WRONG??" I hear Lily better than I see her. My vision is hazy. Her face is vague...I can't make out any features.

I raise a shaky hand to the TV. Lil follows, reading the headline:

Uber Driver Arrested In Denver.

"Brad...he's going there. He...left in his car."

She reacts to my hoarse words instantly. Lil dashes from the room like a track star. I hear her gym shoes streaking down the hall.

Jess comes to the doorway; her body language speaks distressed. "What is he thinking?!!"

"Ring the bell, get the doctors!" Lil yells from afar.

Jess rushes to kneel before me. My oxygen levels decrease. My lungs sting and tighten. They're closing!! She seizes the bell and rings it like a whistle. "I'm calling the cops."

"No! He'll get arrested...he's too angry! That'll get him hurt. Don't call!" My squeaky voice is hectic.

"We have to call someone...Lil is on foot, Brad's in a car!" She continues the frantic bell ringing.

"I know." I fight for air as if I'm drowning.

"Just breathe, Maddy, don't talk. Breathe." I heave, filling my chest like a pufferfish. The female doctor hustles in and helps me from the floor. Jess whips out her phone. "We have to call someone."

"Who do we call?!" I ask breathlessly.

"Please calm yourself." The woman injects a shot into my arm. "You're alright; just breathe."

Jess's phone rings, she answers fast. "Did you stop him?" I wait for her reaction, hoping it's good...but the look she gives is tragic. "He's gone...Lil said he was doing at least 80. She couldn't keep up with the car."

I close my eyes and inhale deeply. "We can't just let him go."

"No...no police. Maddy is right; he'll antagonize them." Jess says into the phone while clutching her forehead. "Maybe...we can try that."

"Try what?"

Jess puts Lil on speakerphone. "We need to try that." She's out of breath. "Brad won't make it there. Denver is 16 hours away. I would say let him cool down, but that's dangerous. He's gonna hurt himself...or someone else with how he's speeding. Either that, or he'll end up on the news in a high-speed chase. We don't need that drama. There's another way to defuse this. Maddy, you need to call Jace."

The doctor hands me a tiny cup and a pill. "For the nerves."

"Thank you."

"Are we doing this?" Lily asks from the phone. "We need to hurry."

I look at my phone on the nightstand and ponder. If I call, I know Jace will say, told you so. He'll be insufferable. But time is ticking; there aren't any other options. Brad is going to cause damage at the speed he's going. Jace is the only choice. "I don't have his number..."

"Mr. Harrison is at Strygent labs. It's best to not bother him. Any emergency can be handled by law enforcement." The doc advises. "I suggest you call the police to handle your friend."

"We'd rather not do that," Lil argues. "Can you just give us his number? This is an emergency."

"As I said, the police are your only option." The lady says sternly before walking to the door. "Now rest, Madison. You've overworked yourself." She leaves for the door and closes it behind her.

Lil huffs like a bull. "Fucking bitch! Ring the bell for Helen. There has to be a way to contact him."

Jess taps the bell five times and strolls to the door to open it. She glances down the hall with the bell in her hand. She repeats the ringing again. The sound of shoes tap from down the hall. "There she is," Jess says, relieved. She beckons to the maid to speed up her pace. Helen's footsteps hasten. "We need help. Can we have Jace Harrison's number?"

Helen halts at the door. "Is it that bad??"

"Yes," Both my girls say.

"Mr. Harrison did say to contact him if there's an emergency."

"This is a high-level emergency." Lil clarifies.

"Very well, I'll summon the assistant. She's the only one who can share private information." She hustles from the room.

I reach for the phone and dial Brad. "Maybe he'll pick up, and Jace doesn't have to get involved." My voice is jittery. The call goes straight to voicemail. I try three more times only to get the same result. The sound of heels hitting the wood floors distracts me.

A red-haired woman in a two-tone dress catwalks into the room. She has an hourglass figure and huge breasts. "I was told that you require the host's number."

I place the phone on my lap and nod. "Yes, I do."

The woman evaluates me from head to toe in a judgmental fashion. I can't tell if she's envious or jealous. "I'm sure you're aware of his schedule. There's no guarantee your call will be a priority." She says with intentional superiority.

"Stop with your insecurities. We don't have time for them. Give us the damn number. If you don't, Mr. Harrison will hear about your hospitality." Lil derides from the phone.

She nastily ranks my appearance with detesting eyes. "Of course, wonderful guests." The lady nears me in the bodycon dress. "The phone, please." I hand it over. The assistant types in numbers, then gives it back. "Good luck..." She emphasizes her hips in a swing as she leaves.

I hold the phone to my ear and stare at Jess, who evil eyes the woman. "Damn ho."

"I can tell all the way from here..."

"Come back."

"I'm lost," Lil confesses through the speaker. "I'm trying to find a worker. I got Brad's car cell. Maybe we can track him?"

The phone is on the fifth ring. He isn't going to pick up. The hot assistant was right. I shake my head at Jess. "We need another way..."

The line clicks. "Hello?"