8. Jace
Chapter eight
Jace
T he world tilts as Soren’s words register in my mind, followed by Alec’s insane laughter at my world imploding around me. Ben looks confused and uncomfortable as he tries to look anywhere but at the shit show going on around him.
She knew she didn’t get in this morning when I was over there laying in her bed wondering how I would tell the girl I love how everything up until that night in Heaven’s Sin was a fabricated lie for me to deliver her to another man. That Alec has been blackmailing me into fucking him since last year after I promised her I wouldn’t be with anyone else but her.
I feel the panic attack coming right before my phone begins to ring in my pocket. A cold dread seeps into my bones as I crash to my knees terrified of what’s on the other end of the phone call. How could he know already?
With shaking hands and shallow breaths, I pull my phone from my pocket and press the green answer button. Tobias’ harsh breath greets me before the soul-shattering scream of a woman echoes, making my blood run cold. Josie.
“I told you not to fail me, Little Compton; now your sister has a front-row seat to daddy dearest demise. Don’t worry, though, and I’ll save your sister’s death for you to witness. “ He hisses as a loud slapping of skin followed by a muffled cry seeps through the speaker.
“STOP! Stop, please... I can fix this... Please don’t hurt them. Give me time, and I can still deliver Soren to you as planned. Let them go; give me one more chance, please.” I plead helplessly as I try to keep my racing heart from beating out of my chest. I patiently wait for him to say anything, to grant me a chance to redeem myself from the shit that I landed myself in when Soren got rejected by Brown and fucked everything up by not telling me until it was too late. I could have had them all a safe distance from Tobias’ reach if she had just told me when she found out.
“You thought you could get away with fucking me over? I know you planned to tell Soren everything, hell I believe you’re the one to blame for her not getting into Brown. Scared to lose what’s not yours Little Compton?” His voice is low and deadly as he waits for my reply.
His words cause bile in my throat as I try to put together how he knew I planned to come clean to Soren if the only person that knew was Alec. I decide to play it off until I can get answers about how Alec is connected to this.
“I wouldn’t sabotage you getting what you want. I’m not an idiot you have the only two people I love in your hands, and I wouldn’t risk their lives over some pussy. Give me one more chance to deliver what is owed.” The lie comes easily off my tongue as I pray silently to whatever high power deems me worthy that this mother fucker takes it, and releases my dad and sister to safety. The line goes quiet for a moment as I wait for his next words, my phone shaking in my palm, almost causing me to drop it,
“You have until the end of the year to deliver Soren to me, and I’ll keep eyes on you during this to make sure you don’t try anything to fuck me over again.” His harsh voice sounds like nails hammering into my coffin, leaving no room for me to fuck this up.
“Yes, sir, I understand. I won’t fail. Just please let them go..” My voice comes out broken and shows the defeat I feel in my soul now. I should’ve told Soren the truth and not lashed out earlier. I just fucked everything up, and now I have to betray the woman I love to save the only family I have left.
Tobias chuckles and leaves me with one final blow to the chest with his next words: “Also, so that you know, Your dad is still in Hazleton, and your sister is with Scarlett. They were never here. Don’t try to fuck me over again, boy” He hangs the phone up, leaving me speechless.
I look around to see that the only one witnessing my downfall is Alec. The smile plastered across his face makes me nauseous. How could his jealousy and hatred towards Soren lead him to team up with Tobias? How long has he been working with him to monitor me?
How am I going to get out of this?
Alec steps forward and extends his hand. “Let's go get the bitch.” He smirked while waiting for me to reply or take his hand. I push it away and bring myself up on my own; I dust myself off and make my way over to Ben without Alec.
I slide into my F150’s front seat, the interior light illuminating the black leather. The lingering scent of Soren’s perfume suffocates me, reminding me of my plan with Ben to protect her while I make sure my family is safely relocated away from Tobias. Soren’s unaware that the friend she trusts is someone I hired to keep her away from Alec. Someone who would guarantee her safety, regardless of what happened to me. Ben promised to call her and convince her to leave, saying I was trying to take her out and would never stop.
“I Think I’m Lost Again” By Chase Atlantic Blares through my speakers as my world crashes and burns around me. If only she knew how much this hurts. The fight between us still lingers in the back of my mind, replaying the hurtful words I said that made her leave. She will never know how deeply I regret those words, how much I didn’t mean them. Honestly, the thought of college becomes meaningless compared to the pain of losing her. I didn’t care if we never went to college; all I wanted was her. I yearned for the freedom to live my life with her by my side, to experience an actual life together, free from the constant fear of losing her or the need to be on guard. We were far too young to be dealing with the shit we were forced into.
He was angry before we left, as he tried to convince me to stop by my apartment and retrieve my gun from the floor safely. He claimed that one bullet to her head would solve all my problems .
If only he would take the gun and aim it at my real problem Tobias, before turning it on himself, I’d truly be free from them both. Soren would be safe.
I press the green button, and his breathing echoes throughout the now-silent cab, causing my teeth to clench with irritation as I hiss out a quick reply, “What, Alec?”
His annoying laughter echoes through the speaker before he shoots off three words that make the blood running through my veins freeze with dread: “I see her.” The thought of him reaching her before I’m even there to protect her from him makes me feel nauseous. “Stay put and do not go near her; this doesn’t involve you, Alec.” He growls out in frustration at not getting his way.
“Better hurry pretty boy, looks like your whore fiance is flirting with that weird guy Radley at Zed’s Bar.” He snarks out, not hiding the joy from his tone of seeing Soren talking to another guy after our fight. Somehow proving what he always believed she was, a whore. But if only he knew her as well as I did, he would know she would never betray me. No matter how many times I hurt her, she would never try to get even by fucking someone else after our fight. Her loyalty was never something I had to question. “Watch yourself if she spots you, she’ll know I’m coming before I even have a chance to do what I need to do. I’ll be there in ten.” I reply hastily, ending the call as I press harder on the gas, propelling the truck faster towards the bar. ‘Jericho’ by Sleep Token begins to blare through the speakers as I feel my heart beating in my throat.
I thought if we left half an hour later, Soren would be home and in bed. I would sneak in, leaving her a letter telling her the truth about everything and how I loved her, but this was something that needed to happen I would sneak out and meet Ben, while Ben would call her and feed her some fabricated bullshit about me being set out to kill her and how she needed to escape before I came back to finish the job.
God, I wish for something to go my way for once. I tighten my grip on the steering wheel as I try to come up with something now that I’m put on the spot with Alec already there to witness everything whatever I came up with had to be believable. Before I can get further in my train of thought, another call cuts through the music, the distinct ringtone making my already sour mood worse. I reluctantly press play as Tobias’ voice echoes around me making me shudder. “ Bring her to me tonight. You have an hour.” He doesn’t give me a chance to reply before he ends the call leaving me speechless, and on a road I’m not sure I can cross without it coming to bite me in the ass and killing everyone I love.
I slam my fist down on the steering wheel taking in the pain it causes as a sign that this is real and I have no choice but to play this in the only way I know how to make sure everyone lives. I have to attack and try to kidnap her, I have to make sure that it's convincing enough that someone tries to stop me and saves her, if they intervene I can act like I’m spooked and escape and that gives her the proof she needs that she is not safe from me and she needs to leave. That along with the call from Ben, should be enough. That’s what I’m foolishly telling myself to justify what I need to do to save the woman I love from the monster that will never stop hunting her.
I’ll sacrifice the future I had planned for us if it means she gets away from his reach. I’ll be the villain if it means she leaves and never comes back.
I stop my truck a block away and decide to walk the rest of the way to Zed’s, not wanting my father’s patrolmen to see my car and stop to see what I’m doing on this side of town. The music from the bar hits my ears before the lights do, Alec bounces on his heels on the side of Zed’s as he looks excited to see me finally his voice comes out excited as he speaks a little too loud for comfort “Let’s get this cunt pretty boy, and I’ll fuck that sweet ass of yours in her blood, We’ll leave her tied up so she can see who you belong to. Sound good baby?”
I look at him with a fake smile as I groan quietly to myself as the music around us drowned at my blatant disgust at what he just said, If anything I’d love to fuck Soren in his blood as he was tied up beside Tobias watching me fuck my girl. I avoid saying anything in response to him, hoping that my quietness is taken as compliance and he leaves me alone so I can figure out what I need to do. Do I pretend to kidnap her? Do I tell Alec I will meet him at the house and take off with Soren, I’ll send Ben for her sisters to get them to safety once we make it to wherever that is.
“Pretty boy, what has that look on your face? I can take care of her if you need me too.” Alec sing-songs gleefully beside me as he skips, his feet crushing the gravel below his boots. Who would’ve thought this psycho beside me was just acting friendly with my girl earlier to now talking about taking care of her so carelessly?
“Are you doubting my ability to handle this shit? Because you can go home until it's done.” I snap, stopping and waiting for him to look at me as he comes to a skidding stop. “You and Tobias are always second-guessing me, if I wasn’t qualified why even hire me to do this bullshit? Why not handle it himself?” I throw my hands up as the anger begins to boil over making me feel sick to my stomach. Why my father forced me into accepting this fucking job in the first place I will never fucking know, It has made me both miserable and happy to have her.
“Baby, you know I would never doubt you.” He pokes his bottom lip out in a fake pout as he takes a menacing step in my direction, bringing his chest against mine. Our breaths mingle as he tilts his head, looking at me, trying to catch me in whatever lie he detects. I keep my emotions locked away as I stare into his eyes.
“You have before. You’re still seeing the mystery person behind my back, and can’t even trust me to tell me who it is!” I snap, my teeth clicking in a harsh manner making my jaw hurt as he stumbles back hurt crossing his face right before anger takes it place, he spins on his heels and stomps to the bar without me, shouting a quick response “FUCK YOU! You have no right to judge me for being with someone while being with you, you have a whole fiance!” he gets ahead of me by ten steps causing me to half jog to catch up to him. But I'm not with him by choice, but by a fucked up mistake that he is behind. That's the difference between us. He is choosing to be with someone and force me to be with him, as for me I only want Soren.
We reach the parking lot at the same time, and I catch sight of Soren’s car, letting a soft sigh escape my lips that she is still inside. I pray she wouldn’t leave alone, even if the thought physically pains me, that she came here to pick someone up to cheat on me after our fight. Pot meets kettle.
The other car that stands out has me clenching my fist in anger. Why have they been around her more often than usual? Every time I look around when we are out or when I pull into the parking lot of her parent's business, I catch sight of one of them. They are obvious in their stalking, not even trying to hide the looks they shoot her way. I’m not sure how my girl hasn’t noticed.
Before I have a chance to distract Alec, the door to the dingy bar opens, and out comes a slightly tipsy Soren as she walks to her car, oblivious to the dangers that are lurking in the dark, ready to cause her harm.
I take a moment to take her in before everything goes to shit; once she learns the truth, and I force her to go on the run with me and separate her from her sisters until they can be safe together again, Ben will make sure they’re okay.
I go to step forward, but before I have a chance Alec is racing off in her direction with a bottle he picked up from the ground in his hand and heading straight for Soren. Everything slows down as he brings the bottle up and slams it into the back of her head with a sinister laugh escaping his lips, and she crumbles to the ground. My feet carry me to her as I feel a lump logging in my throat at the scene in front of me. Blood coats the broken bottle, and glass litters the ground around us; I push Alec away, gripping the bottle and snatching it from him before he can cause her any more harm. “ YOU STUPID FUCKING BITCH!!” I scream as the bottle shakes in my grip I try to gain composure and not slam the broken end into the side of his neck and watch him bleed out beside where she is.
Before I can let the intrusive thoughts of killing his stupid ass, a hard force is knocking into me, causing me to lose balance as Alec runs, leaving me to face the consequences of his actions.
Everything is fucked.
Fist connects with my face and ribs. As Radley and Reed punch and kick me, I try to guard only to be blindsided by Caden, who slams his fist into the back of my head, causing me to stumble forward and fall to the ground; I curl into the fetal position and try to protect myself as much as I can from the onslaught that the three of them are raining down on me, I peek just in time to see Soren get up and stumble towards Drake. The words and everything else around me become muffled as Caden lands a kick to the side of my head, and I pray that they end it tonight because the pain on my girl's face is enough for me to end it all myself with a bullet to my brain.
The three beating the shit out of me ease up and turn towards Drake and Soren. They step away from me, I guess believing that I’m passed out and, honestly, I should be. But I’m not, and I am stuck watching Reed order Drake to get Soren into her car so they can take her to get seen. I don’t catch where they are taking her before Alec shows up and drags me away into the shadows away from my girl.
I pray to whoever that she survives and that those four get her to safety. Alec shoots off talking shit and making promises to come back and finish the job. But I’m barely able to hold onto consciousness with the pain that is radiating through my body, mentally going over the obvious injuries my ribs are broken along with my wrist from where Reed constantly laid in kicks with whatever steel toe shoe he was wearing tonight that I, unfortunately, became acquainted with when Alec did what he did and ran like a bitch instead of owning up to it like a man .
Alec drags me to my truck and shoves his hand into my jeans, causing me to flinch as he grabs my keys to unlock my driver's side and shoves me into the front seat, “Drive to your dads, pretty boy; I’m gonna try to follow these bitches. She’s not gonna escape me, and they’re gonna pay for hurting you.” He smiles at me with a sinister smile gracing his face, blood from Soren tinting his cheeks from where he rubbed his hand across them after he hit her.
My face must not be masking like usual because the anger that graces his features has me sliding my hand behind me and to the handle of my .22, the steel making my sore hand sting from the cold. “I’m not going to my dad. Leave her alone, Alec. It’s not your job or responsibility to avenge me or to take care of Soren.” I gasp as my ribs roll under my flesh, and I feel the bile in my throat rise begging to be released on this dick before me for being too hasty and causing me to get jumped because he ran like a bitch after hitting Soren.
“She Is Mine!” I snap, watching as his face morphs into pure hatred.
“She won’t be after tonight. I’ll send her heart to you in a little box. After I fuck that used cunt of hers to see what has you acting like such a pussy. Don’t worry, pretty boy, I’ll send it full of my cum to Tobias along with her head. I might cut into her face before so he can get the message that we are done with him. Just you and I after this baby. You’ll come around and realize you’ll always be mine once she is gone for good.” He replies happily, not caring for a word I said.
He leaves me there speechless, as he strolls off towards his car.
Ten minutes go by, and my father's number flashes on my phone, causing me to groan at the shit that is about to hit the fan once I answer this call, “Yes, Father?” I decided to skip the formalities. We aren't that kind of family.
“Where are you, and where is that whore of a fiance?” He growls, his voice sounding like nails scraping the chalkboard, making my skin crawl with goosebumps.
“I am fine by the way , and on the way home, she is waiting for me.” I lie, knowing he doesn’t believe me. “ Don’t be coy with me, boy, your friend already called and told me everything I’ll send my men to bring her in; get here soon, son. It’s time you get rid of this broad once and for all. I’ll help you cover it with Tobias. “ He says quietly, not even trying to hide his dirty cop behavior anymore, but I will be damned if some low-money rent cop gets their hands on my fiance.
“I’ve got it covered. Leave her to me.” I say sternly, not leaving room for arguments.
He lets out a chuckle lacking every bit of humor. “You don’t have a shit son but a busted lip and some bruises because she set you up to get jumped by some thugs she was probably selling herself to.” He lets a series of coughs out that interrupts his maniacal rant of absolute bullshit. “Handle it by morning, or I will. It's time for you to grow some balls and handle business like a man and not a pussy whipped bitch.” He snips and hangs up the phone before I have a chance to reply.
I slam my hand on the steering wheel repeatedly ignoring the sting in my wrist and hands. “GODDAMN IT!” What the actual fuck am I supposed to do now? She has three psychos after her now instead of just one, and if I don’t deliver her to Tobias, I am going to be on the chopping block along with my sister and piece of shit father.
I reluctantly start my truck and pull out of the parking space heading home to come up with something to save us both. I hope those dipshits that beat my ass know what the fuck they’re doing to protect my girl. I pray that Alec ends up dead by the end of the night, and that's one less problem I have to deal with.
But you know the Funny thing about praying, Not every prayer comes true.
I do the only logical thing and press the contact icon on my radio, scrolling with the dial on my steering wheel until it lands on Ben’s name I press call, and the ringtone echoes around me as I navigate the streets. Ben’s deep and masculine voice cuts through, making a small smile grace my lips. “Code purple, She needs to be gone with her sisters tonight. We are out of time. Do whatever you need to ensure she believes me to be the monster she probably thinks I am... I love her, and I know that you love her as well. So do this if you want her to live, or we both lose her tonight.” I say as a small tear leaks from the corner of my eye and slowly slides down my bruised cheek. The thought of losing her for good makes me feel physically ill, but I know this is what needs to happen for her to be safe.
Ben's harsh and panicked breathing is the only sign I have that he is on the other end of this call listening to what I said. “I will do what needs to be done to save our girl, Be safe, brother. Go and get checked at the hospital, can’t have you dying on me, Jay. I love you.” He whispers quietly back, making a smile grace my busted lip. “Will do, Benny. I love you.” With that, I end the call and head home to plan my next move.