Chapter 22
Kiera
After crying myself to sleep, I woke up well after midday. Pain shot through my ass, slivering its way up my body as I dragged myself out of bed. It didn’t hurt as much as the ache in my chest, though. I’d come so close to believing Jackson and I could go back to what we had before.
But we weren’t meant to be. Not if it came at the expense of telling him the truth.
Forcing myself to shower, my waterfall of tears merged with the hot water until there were none left to fall.
Maybe it was a good thing Jackson had walked away.
He needed the closure I couldn’t give him.
Maybe knowing that there would never be any hope for us, we could both move on, even if it wasn’t together.
Besides, I had something else to focus on. A small smile tugged at my lips at the thought of Billie and the results we had the day before. She would always be my number one priority. It didn’t matter if Jackson couldn’t love me again; I had my daughter, and she was all I needed.
With a newfound determination, I shut the shower off and got out. Quickly dressing, a plan formed in my head. I had some savings I’d squirreled away over the years. It wasn’t much, but it would be enough to pay for a hotel room for a few nights for both Billie and me.
After that, I wasn’t sure, but I was certain James would help. Whatever happened, though, I couldn’t stay in this house with Alec another minute longer. I was done with being his punchbag, I was done with spreading my legs whenever he demanded.
I was done with him.
And I needed to get my ass out of the house before he arrived home from his work trip.
Grabbing the duffel bag from the wardrobe, I shoved a whole bunch of outfits into it before heading to Billie’s room to do the same. She had clothes with her at school, so she wouldn’t need much to start with.
Looking around for my phone charger, I remembered I’d left it downstairs the last time I used it. Ignoring the pain in my ass every time I moved, I rushed downstairs, finding the charger in the kitchen.
Unplugging it, the blood in my veins turned to ice as the rumbling of an engine sounded outside seconds before it shut off. My gaze shot up in time to see Alec climbing out of the driver’s side.
Fuck.
If he knew I was leaving, I didn’t know how he would react, but the fear lodged in my gut told me he wouldn’t react well.
Double fuck. The duffel bag was on our bed. If he went upstairs to shower, like he always did when he returned home after being away, he would see it. He would know what I was doing.
A knot of anxiety tightened in my stomach, and as thoughts raced through my head as to what I was going to do, the front door opened, and Alec called out. A tremor started in the tips of my fingers, spreading through my arms.
I needed to distract him. Find a way to stop him from going upstairs. Before I could come up with a way that didn’t involve getting on my knees and sucking his cock, he appeared in the doorway.
“Hi, babe.” The grin he wore slid off his face, a crease forming between his brows as he met my wide, frightened eyes.
“What’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” My mouth opened and closed several times, but no words came out.
He crossed to where I stood, my heart leaping into my throat when he gently held my arms. “Babe, what’s happened? ”
Swallowing the lump of dread that stuck in my throat, I blurted words in hope they would buy me time to figure out how to get my bag. “My dad’s dead.”
“What?” he replied after a long, intense pause, his tone laced with disbelief. “Dead?”
I dropped my gaze to the floor in an attempt to make him think I was upset. “Yeah. Last night. There was a home invasion and-”
The words had barely left my mouth when Alec leaped forward and slammed me hard against the wall. His hand wrapped around my throat, his fingers digging into my windpipe, and panic shot through me when I couldn’t inhale air.
“The fuck do you mean there was a home invasion?” he roared, pulling me forward to slam me against the wall again. “Tell me the fucking truth, Kiera. How did he die?”
Confusion mixed with my fear at his reaction. He’d never met my father, yet he was acting like he’d learned his lifelong friend had died. My lungs began to burn as my brain scrambled to understand what was happening, but with the lack of oxygen, I couldn’t think straight.
My hands flew to Alec’s grip, and I attempted to prise his fingers free. He loosened them enough for me to choke my words out. “That is the truth. He di…died in a…home…invasion.”
“Fucking lying bitch!”
I didn’t have time to brace before Alec slammed his fist into my nose. Blinding-hot pain exploded in my face, and my legs buckled. Without his hand around my throat, I fell to the floor, tears combining with blood pouring from my nose.
He grabbed a chunk of my hair, yanking me to my feet again as he forced my head back, his snarling face an inch away from mine.
“The head of a secret fucking society doesn’t die in a home invasion, Kiera.
” Beneath the blood and snot spreading over my face, my brows lifted.
Alec knew about Legion? A wicked smirk took over his face as he answered my unspoken question.
“Oh, you think I didn’t know about your dad’s and James’ little club?
” His fingers tightened in my hair, and I was certain he was about to rip strands free from my scalp.
“Well, guess what? I know all about Legion. Why the fuck do you think I’ve put up with your frigid ass for all this time? ”
He suddenly released me, shoving me away from him. Losing my footing, I fell for a second time, landing on my already sore ass. Alec loomed menacingly over me, sneering like I was a piece of shit on his shoe.
“Your dad promised me that I’d be inducted into the society once we said ‘I do’, but you just had to keep putting the wedding off, didn’t you?
He was the only reason I let you and your cunt of a daughter sponge off me for all these years, and now, he’s fucking dead.
” Despite the fear zapping around inside me, a spark of anger ignited under my skin at how he’d referred to Billie.
I opened my mouth, prepared to face his wrath by screaming at him to apologize for calling her that, when he spoke again, his tone unnervingly calm.
“It’s a shame he died. He had grand plans for Billie when she got a little bit older. ”
My blood ran cold, not just from the malice lighting up his evil eyes, but from learning of my father’s plans for Billie. My mind threw up hundreds of memories of ways my father used to treat me, and I squeezed my eyes closed as nausea swam in my stomach.
Taking advantage of my trip to the past, Alec took a step forward. My eyes snapped open, finding his hands balling into fists by his sides. Despite the terror gripping my body, and despite my face throbbing unbearably, I knew I had to get away before he attacked again.
My dad was dead. He couldn’t hurt Billie. But Alec could.
Sliding my ass back on the tiled floor, my heart pounded frantically as I prepared to make a move.
Alec continued to speak, but I wasn’t listening, too focused on what I was about to do.
Taking a breath and hoping I would be quick enough, I flipped onto my side, leaping to my haunches before jumping to my feet.
And then I ran.
I ran through the hallway like the devil was chasing me.
But he was, and I’d made a mistake.
I hadn’t considered that I was only wearing socks on my feet, and the second I hit the hallway, my feet slid against the wooden floor. Losing valuable time as I tried to gain my footing, I shrieked as Alec’s furious roar reached my ears seconds before he crashed into me.
Air whooshed out of my lungs as we tumbled to the floor, a thud vibrating through the house. I tried to catch my breath, but Alec was too quick. He pinned me down, straddling me with his full weight crushing my stomach, making it impossible to breathe.
“Fucking bitch!” Alec bellowed, his palm crashing against the side of my face.
My head whipped to the side, my brain fuzzy from the strike, and barely registering him wrapping his hands around my throat again.
“You want to know something, Kiera? I never fucking loved you. You were nothing to me, just a whiny, irritating slut that I had to put up with to get what I wanted. But now that’s not possible, is it?
So I don’t have a need for you anymore.”
His grip tightened around my throat, my vision blurring as he squeezed. I tried to buck my hips to throw him off, but he was too strong, and a heartbreaking realization dawned on me.
This was it.
This was how I died.
Billie’s beautiful face swam before my eyes, and tears slid down my cheeks. I would never get to see her again. Never get to hold her in my arms and tell her how proud I was of her. How much I loved her.
Her face disappeared, replaced by Jackson’s, and my heart constricted. Regret flowed through me. I should have told him the truth. I should have told him that I loved him, that he was the only man I’d ever loved. I should have told him the truth about that night.
My eyes began to close when, somewhere nearby, a shrill alarm reverberated off the walls.
The doorbell. Someone was at the door.
“Fuck,” Alec muttered, momentarily loosening his grip to peer over his shoulder at the door.
I seized the opportunity, sucking in a deep breath and bucking my hips. Distracted by the door, Alec lost his balance. With every ounce of strength I possessed, I forced my aching body to a lift, taking him off guard when I threw my forehead against his nose.
He grunted and fell back. I scrambled to my feet, bolting toward the door. “Help!” I shrieked, hoping that whoever was there heard my cries.
But before I could reach the door, Alec crashed into me from behind, throwing me into the living room. Briefly glancing out the window as I fell to the floor, my heart sank. It had been a deliveryman at the door, and he was already climbing back into his truck.
Alec pounced, but I couldn’t let myself give in. The two of us wrestled, knocking into the furniture and causing a vase to fall from the sideboard onto the floor. Exhausted, every bone in my body protested against the continued exertion I was putting myself through, but I had to.
I was fighting for my life.
Flinging my hands into Alec’s face, I scratched my nails down his cheeks, hard enough to draw blood, but earning another smack to my face. My cheeks blazed, and wracking sobs escaped me as I continued to fight against him.
He gained the upper hand, though, pinning me to the ground. My eyes widened in horror at realizing he’d picked up the fallen vase and held it above his head. The last thing I saw was him bringing his hand down, before pain exploded in my brain, and my vision went black.
My entire body throbbed in agony. I slowly opened my eyes—well, eye. One had swollen shut. With my head pounding, I pulled myself into a sitting position and glanced around the living room, taking in the mess.
It looked like Alec had continued to destroy the house after knocking me unconscious. The coffee table was overturned, the drapes had been pulled down, and every photo frame had been shattered.
Wiping my forehead, bright red blood smeared my fingers, and I knew I needed help. I held my breath, listening intently to any sign that Alec was still in the house.
Silence.
Praying that he’d left, I stumbled to my feet, my knees wobbling, and nausea threatening to expel from me.
I tiptoed to the hallway, once again listening for any sign that Alec was out there, but when I was still met with more silence, I crept along the hallway, using one hand to cradle my side, the other clasping at the wall to hold myself up.
My head throbbed, I was convinced my nose was broken, and from the burning pain in my ribs, I was certain he’d broken at least one of my ribs. Tears stung my eyes, but I hurt too much to let them fall.
I needed my phone. As soon as I called for help, I could lie down, close my eyes, and forget the pain for a short while.
Making it to the kitchen, my gaze darted around at the carnage Alec had caused in here, too.
It looked like he’d smashed every single glass, plate, and anything else he could get his hands on.
Careful not to stand on any glass, I crossed to the island, relief swamping me at finding my phone was still there, and Alec hadn’t taken it. I picked it up and unlocked it, my brows lifting at seeing I had a missed call and voicemail from Billie’s school.
My heart plummeted to my stomach. Something was wrong. They’d never called before. I jabbed the button to access my voicemail, waiting with bated breath for the message to play.
“Hi, Ms. Carter, it’s June Taylor here. I’m one of Billie’s teachers. I was hoping to speak to you about Billie’s absence. I know your fiancé mentioned she would be away for a few days due to a family emergency, but I wanted-”
I didn’t hear the rest of the message as my phone dropped to the floor. The barbed wire wrapped around my heart tightened so much that I was convinced I was going to die from internal bleeding.
My knees gave in, and I collapsed in a heap, my hands landing in fragments of shattered glass and adding to the wounds already covering my body as the truth sank into the marrow of my bones.
Alec had taken Billie.