Chapter 9
9
C alista stood in front of her closet. What the hell did one bring on a yacht? She made the mistake of Googling the address and holy crap. The marina where Hawke’s friend kept his yacht was right out of the rich and famous. When he’d said the word yacht before and when Arthur mentioned all the toys, it hadn’t really sunk in that she’d be going on a real yacht.
More like a mini cruise ship.
She’d changed her bathing suit and cover-up three times and still wasn’t satisfied. “Mom, we’re going to be late,” David called from the family room.
“That’s my line.” She grabbed her beach bag and tossed it over her shoulder. “How do I look?”
“You’re the prettiest mom in the world.”
“Thanks. Shall we take Hawke’s truck?”
“Can you drive something that big?” David asked with wide eyes.
“Want to hear something funny?” Tossing her arm around her son and leading him to the front door, she let herself remember everything good about Hawke and all the reasons why she’d fallen in love with him.
And why she still loved him.
Most would call him an alpha male. Strong and quiet but commanding at the same time. And he was all that. But she knew the real Hawke. The Hawke she knew was loving and sweet and had a soft spot in his heart for the world. He didn’t show it to most, but she’d seen how sensitive he could be.
“Hawke’s first truck, I had to teach him how to parallel park it.”
“No way!”
“He was so proud of that truck.” He’d been heartbroken when Courtney had mutilated it, but the body shop had done an excellent job of making it look like new again. “He’d been saving for the down payment since high school.”
“What did he drive before that?”
“An old beat-up hatchback. It was the ugliest thing I’d ever seen. I was happy for him when he bought himself something a little nicer. I begged him to let me drive, but he wouldn’t hear of it, until he tried to park. I bet him a hundred dollars that I could do it on the first try.”
“Did you do it?”
She nodded. “He still owes me a hundred bucks.” She laughed as she curled her fingers around the doorknob and yanked it open.
Her laugh caught in her throat. “Hawke. You’re back?”
“And for the record, I can parallel park Marthy,” he said with a stupid grin.
“Marthy?” David asked.
“Your father has always named his cars. The truck he had when we were dating was LuAnndra. That was his second truck.” She shook her head at the memory. “Dumbest name for a vehicle ever.”
“How do you decide on the names?” David looped his arm around Hawke’s waist, glancing up at him with doe-like eyes.
Calista tapped her index finger against her chest in unison with her beating heart. Joy spread across her body like the warmth of the sun heating her face. She’d dreamed about this day for years, only the reality was better than anything she’d imagined.
Her phone dinged.
She dug it out of her oversized purse and frowned. “It’s my emergency line.” For the most part, Calista had always been able to leave work at the office, and other than the nights she covered the suicide hotline, she rarely dealt with her patients outside of their hour on her couch.
And being new in town, she didn’t have too many clients. But she had a few and she couldn’t ignore them.
She tapped the accept button. “This is Calista Alba.”
“We have a Rick Rosen on the line. He’s indicated that he’s got a bottle of pills and is about to take them.”
“I need a minute before you connect me.” Calista covered the phone. “I have to take this, and I could be a while. It’s an emergency and it’s private.”
“Why don’t I take David, and you call me when you’re done? Even if Rex takes the yacht off the docks, I can come to get you on one of the Jet Skis or the little boat.” Hawke took the beach bag and handed it to their son. “David, take this and toss it in the back seat, then climb in. I’ll be there in a sec.”
“Okay, Dad. I love you, Mom.”
“I’ll be there soon, promise,” she said, waving. “Are you sure you don’t mind?” she asked, pressing the phone to her ear.
“He’s my son. I’ll never mind spending time with him. Or his mother, but I’ve seen that look before.” Hawke traced his finger along the side of her face. “Your eyes used to go from a shiny blue to a dull shade, and you would crinkle your nose like you’re doing right now every time Courtney would threaten to kill herself.”
A sharp pain poked through her chest right to the center of her heart. “I got so tired of her threats. I ignored all the classic signs the last time.”
“How many of your patients are suicidal?” Hawke asked.
“That’s my specialty.”
“So I tortured myself one way, and you do it another way.”
She curled her fingers around his thick biceps. “No, Hawke. I don’t work with this type of client because I want to punish myself. I do it because as Courtney’s best friend, I couldn’t help her. She needed a professional. I’m that professional for everyone who has a friend that needs help. And I suspect you continued with your medical training and became a paramedic and firefighter in your civilian life because you wanted to help people who are incapable, for whatever reason, of doing it themselves.”
“I never looked at it that way before.” He pressed his lips against her temple. “I’m sorry for everything.”
“I know you are,” she whispered. “We can’t go back, but we can be a family going forward.”
“Does that include dating?”
She let out a short laugh. “Call me crazy, but yes.”
He cupped her cheeks. “No matter what the future holds, I won’t ever walk away from you and our son again. That’s a promise you can count on.”
“Go. I’ll see you soon.”
“Rusty has cars driving through the neighborhood and the Aegis Network has someone lurking around Wendel. You’ll be safe.”
“Thanks.” For the next thirty seconds, she stood in the driveway and waved to the man she had never stopped loving and their son. This moment was worth every tear she had shed for the last ten years. “Patch Rick through,” she said to her after-hours service provider.
Calista stepped inside and headed toward the kitchen for another cup of coffee.
“I can’t do this anymore,” Rick said with a raspy voice.
“Where are…” Calista stopped mid-step between her family room and kitchen. “What the hell?” she whispered, staring at Wendel. He leaned against her counter with a smug grin.
“Hello, Calista.”
The inflection of his voice rose an octave, causing the hair on the back of her neck to stand straight up.
Something shiny resting on the counter caught her attention.
A gun.
She dropped her hand to her side, and her cell phone crashed onto the floor. “What are you doing here?”
“Your new boyfriend and his buddies are making my life miserable, and thanks to him, one of my own detectives and some damn fire investigator are at my house right now with a search warrant. Vile little bitch, that one.”
“Kaelie?” Calista swallowed the fear that had slithered its way up from the pit of her stomach. She needed to snap her mind into action. She had no idea what this man wanted, but she didn’t think his motives were pure, especially since he took the gun in his hand and pointed it at her chest.
Think.
Breathe.
Stay calm.
Communicate.
“My ex-wife showed up a half hour ago with papers giving her temporary full custody until this matter is taken care of, and it’s all your fault.”
“I’m sorry your ex did that. I’m sure it was very troubling.” She clasped her hands together, squeezing tight to keep them from shaking.
“Do you know what it’s like to have your kid taken away from you?”
Her chest tightened, and for a second, she thought her heart had stopped beating. “What have you done with my son?” she asked behind a clenched jaw.
“I haven’t done anything to him, yet. But he will be scarred for life.”
She lunged forward but skidded to a stop when he held his weapon in her face.
“While I’m fucking you right here in your own kitchen, Hawke will be off having a good time, but I’m going to come forward with information that I believed he was going to try to hurt his son because of our relationship.”
She’d dealt with many narcissistic sociopaths before, but not one this dangerous. Staring past the twinkle in his eye and his bright smile, she knew without a doubt this man was capable of murder. He was the kind of man who believed all of his actions were justified, no matter the cost to someone else.
That meant he wouldn’t hesitate to pull the trigger if it helped his end game.
It also meant there was no reasoning with him. No talking him down. No trying to get him to see the errors of his ways.
Basically, she was fucked.
“You really think that’s what people are going to believe?” she asked.
“Of course they are because I’ll have pictures of us, showing the world how passionate you are when you’re with me.”
She laughed, which she shouldn’t have since he pressed the gun to her temple, causing her to gag, vomiting a little in her throat. “You touch me, and I’ll fight back, and not a single picture you manage to take will look like I’m having any kind of pleasure at all.”
“I’ve taken more than one woman before, and let me tell you a little something about the female body.” He leaned in closer, his nose so close to her skin that she felt the heat of his breath right down to her toes. “It betrays you every time. I bet your nipples are tightening and sending a warm throbbing right here.” He cupped her between the legs, rubbing his finger against her.
A rumble at the pit of her stomach twisted and turned. The disgust at his touch turned her body cold. She grabbed his wrist and yanked as hard as she could, taking a step back. “You’re going to have to kill me because I will never let you have me. I will kick, scream, bite, dig my nails into your skin, leaving marks?—”
“Of passion, because we know you like it rough.”
“You’re seriously delusional.” Taunting a raging lunatic wasn’t something anyone would recommend. However, if she pegged Wendel’s psychology correctly, rape before murder was a necessity. “Tell me something, Wendel. How many women have you raped and killed?”
“What makes you think I’ve ever killed anyone?” The way he smiled reminded her of Ted Bundy.
She shivered. “You raped and killed all those women the news has been talking about, haven’t you?”
“Even if I did, which I’m not admitting to, why would I tell you?” He inched closer until her back was up against the wall.
“Because if you even try to rape me, you’ll have to kill me.”
“But that’s the beauty of it. I won’t be the one killing you. It will be Hawke.”
She gasped. “That’s impossible.”
“Is it? Because he left here with your son, without you, heading to his rich friend’s yacht after he raped and killed you.”
“You haven’t thought this through. Your DNA will be all over me. The pictures will be time-stamped. Everyone will see that you did this, not Hawke.”
“I’m a powerful man; it will be easy to doctor the evidence. The only regret I’m going to have is that you won’t be alive to see it destroy your son and to watch Hawke get shackled and taken to prison.”
He rammed his knee between her legs.
She pounded his chest with her fists and managed to push from the wall, but no sooner did she maneuver around him than he yanked her back by her hair.
“Let me go.” She cocked her arm and elbowed him in the gut.
“Not smart,” he said, slamming her face forward into the wall. He stood behind her, pressing his disgusting body against hers.
Taking in a deep breath, she contemplated her next move. No matter what she did, she ran the risk of the gun going off.
Wendel licked the side of her face with his slimy tongue. “You repulse me.” She pushed back as hard as she could, giving her just enough space to twist her body and kick his shin.
“Fucking cunt.” He hobbled backward. “You’re going to pay for that.”
Panic squeezed her heart as she headed for the family room. She needed to get out of the house. Her neighbors were always outside, so all she had to do was go running and screaming, and someone would help her.
A strong arm came around her stomach.
She turned and swung, landing her fist right in the center of Wendel’s nose.
A second later, something cold smashed against the side of her face. Her vision blurred as she dropped to her knees. A sharp pain radiated across her head and down the back of her neck. She blinked, trying to focus, but her peripheral vision became smaller and smaller. She fought the darkness threatening to take over.
She had to fight.
She would fight.
To the bitter end.
Hopefully it wouldn’t be her end.
The taste of metal dribbled down her throat.
“See what you made me do?” Wendel lifted her to a standing position by her shoulders.
Her legs wobbled as if she were a newborn horse trying to gain his balance for the very first time. She saw two of everything but focused her gaze on the gun. She'd have the upper hand if she could get the gun from him.
“Bend over the sofa,” he commanded as he shoved her, turning her body. He pressed his hand on the small of her back, pushing the top part of her body.
She gripped the back of the couch. One of his hands slipped down between her legs while the other one rested next to her hand, with the gun.
Get the weapon. That’s all she had to do.
She took in a long breath, letting it out slowly.
“That’s it, baby, relax. You’re going to love this.”
“You might be right,” she whispered.
For a second, he froze.
She took that opportunity to reach for his weapon with both hands. The metal felt cold to the touch. Yanking it from his hands, she butted him with her ass, sending him backward. He lost his footing and fell to the floor. “I’d stay there if I were you.” With a shaky hand, she aimed the gun at his heart.
“You won’t shoot me,” Wendel said just as the front door flew open.
“She won’t, but these cops will.” Kaelie stepped to the side as two armed officers raced past her.
“You’re under arrest,” Rusty said as he hoisted Wendel to his feet, pulling his hands behind his back and cuffing them.
“Are you okay?” Kaelie asked, gently taking the gun from Calista’s hand.
Calista nodded. “How did you know to come here?”
“Your call never ended with your patient. He called 9-1-1.” Kaelie guided her toward the kitchen, eased her onto one of the chairs, and pointed to the phone.
The last thing Calista wanted to do was cry, but she couldn’t stop the tears from rolling down her cheeks. “Where’s my son?”
“He’s with Arthur, heading toward the yacht. Hawke’s on his way back here.”
Calista watched as the officers continued to read Wendel his rights.
“You better get that piece of shit out of here before Hawke gets back,” Calista said. “He has a wicked temper.”
No sooner did she say that than Hawke appeared in the front door, his hands already forming fists.
“You fucking asshole,” Hawke yelled, lunging forward.
Rusty stepped in his way, but Hawke just shoved him aside like a sack of potatoes.
“I’m telling you, Calista is quite the piece of ass,” Wendel said with that same stupid grin he always sported.
Hawke cocked his arm.
“Let him do it,” Rusty said. “One swing. Just turn your backs.”
The other officer stepped aside and turned away.
Hawke’s fist landed on Wendel’s nose, making a crackling sound.
“You can’t let him do that!” Wendel stumbled backward, holding his bloody nose.
“Do what? I didn’t see anything, did you?” Rusty asked. “Calista must have done that while you were trying to rape her.”
“That’s what I thought,” the other officer said as he took Wendel by the arm and hauled him out of the house.
“That wasn’t necessary,” Calista said softly.
Hawke knelt, running his finger across her forehead.
She winced.
“Okay, maybe he deserved it,” she said.
“Damn right he did,” Kaelie said. “I’ll be outside. The ambulance should be here any minute.”
“I’m so sorry I left you.” Hawke held her gaze. “I should have waited.”
“No. If you hadn’t, David would have been here, and I wouldn’t have wanted him to see what just happened. It’s going to be horrifying enough when he sees my face. Is it bad?”
“Let’s just say you’ll need at least five stitches, but you’re still the prettiest woman in any room.”
“Flattery will get you everywhere.” Her head throbbed, and she still couldn’t see straight. A wave of dizziness made the world go black for a second. “I’m a little woozy,” she said.
“I’m pretty sure you have a concussion.”
“That sucks.”
Hawke let out a slight chuckle. “Here come the paramedics. Let’s get you on the gurney and to the hospital.”
“Is that really necessary?”
“It is. I’ll call David and let him know you’re okay. Do you want me to have someone bring him to the hospital or have him stay with Arthur?”
“Let him have fun. Why don’t you go too? I’m fine.”
“I’m never leaving you again. Ever. You’re stuck with me for the rest of your life. I want more than to co-parent our kid. I want us.” He brushed a piece of her hair from her face. “I love you, Calista. I always have, and I always will. I mean it. Now tell me you love me and that you’ll marry me.”
“If I say it now, it’s just the concussion talking.”
Hawke helped her up onto the gurney. She lay back, closing her eyes. All she wanted to do was sleep and dream about a world where Hawke wanted her to be his wife.
Someone tapped at her shoulder. “Say yes.”
“I love you, Hawke. Always have. Always will,” she whispered. She fought to keep her eyes open, but the bright sun made her head explode. She heard voices as the paramedics lifted her into the back of the ambulance, but she couldn’t make out the words.
All she knew was that Hawke was at her side, holding her hand…
And he loved her.
“Yes,” she whispered.