Chapter Twenty-Seven
chapter twenty-seven
KIRA
Earlier Today
“Oh shoot. We don’t have any bacon.”
“We can’t have mac ’n’ cheese without bacon,” Violet says.
“C’mon. We’ll run to the store.”
While I grab my keys off the hook, Violet grabs her mini backpack she brings everywhere she goes, and we take off toward the store.
I’m just pulling into the parking lot when I remember I left without telling Ryder.
“Are you calling me from inside the house?” he says with a laugh when he answers.
“No.” I laugh back. “We were out of bacon for the mac ’n’ cheese, so we ran to the store. I pulled into the parking lot and realized I didn’t tell you. Sorry, my mind is all over the place.”
Between Violet getting signed up for school, filing for divorce, and Brian showing up, my head feels like it’s going to explode.
“It’s okay,” Ryder says. “But you shouldn’t have left without me. You don’t have Jacob with you.”
“Oh shit,” I breathe, having completely forgotten that I’m not supposed to go anywhere without someone to protect us. “I’m sorry. I didn’t even think. I’m already here. I’ll just run in and out.”
We’re already at the store, so it would be dumb to go all the way back, just to have Ryder come back out to get it.
“Okay, but stay on the phone with me,” Ryder insists, reminding me why I love this man.
Growing up, I thought it was normal for men to be selfish. They would take and take from my mom, and I assumed that was just how it was. Especially since both Raymond and Brian were the same way.
But Ryder is different. He puts those he loves before himself. And I want to get to the point where I can do that as well. I feel like he does so much for us, and I want to do that for him as well. He always says that me loving him is enough, but it doesn’t feel like it is.
Violet and I get out of the car, and I take her hand in mine so she stays close to me. The phone is to my ear, but I’m not talking to Ryder, wanting to be aware of my surroundings.
“Look, Mommy! It’s Marie.”
“It is,” I say as Marie walks over. “Grocery shopping?” I ask to be polite.
“Yeah,” she says. “You?”
“Just grabbing some bacon.”
“Did you look at the listings I sent you?”
Not wanting Ryder to hear this conversation, I let him know I’ve run into Marie and that I’ll call him right back.
I pocket my phone and sigh. “Marie, I appreciate everything you’re trying to do, but I’m not looking to move out. I love Ryder, and he loves me. We’re engaged, and once I’m divorced, we’ll be getting married.”
Marie’s jaw clenches. “I really wish you had listened,” she says. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Without waiting for me to respond, she stalks down the aisle, leaving me wondering what the hell is going on.
Taking Violet’s hand in mine once again, I quickly find the bacon and check out, wanting to get back home.
We’re almost to the car when Marie pulls up and gets out.
“Hey, Kira,” she says. “About earlier.”
I stop to hear her out, but that’s a mistake because I’m not paying attention to my surroundings, and before I know what’s happening, a pair of strong hands grabs me from behind. I try to scream, but a cloth is shoved into my mouth to muffle the sound.
I’m thrown into the back seat, along with my daughter, whose hands are restrained. She screams at the top of her lungs, and Marie leans in and stuffs her mouth with a cloth.
“Shut up, you fucking brat!” she hisses.
I can’t speak because my mouth is stuffed, but I look at her in utter shock, confused as to why she’s doing this.
“They’re good to go,” Marie says to …
Oh my God. The man who restrained me gets into the front seat, and his hazel eyes meet mine.
Brian.
Marie is working with Brian. But why?
“Next time you want to steal another woman’s husband, make sure you know whose husband you’re trying to steal.”
With a glacial glare, Marie slams the door, and Brian takes off while I’m left even more confused. Whose husband was I trying to steal? Ryder? He’s not married … right? There’s no way he would be creating a life with us if he were still married. He told me he was divorced. That Addie’s mom wanted nothing to do with them. Late at night, when we were whispering our truths in bed, he told me he paid her millions of dollars, and she walked away, signing away her rights to that precious little girl.
Could she be Nora, Ryder’s ex and Addie’s bio mom?
I think back to all the times we met for coffee. The way she was pushing for me to take things slow. And the first time she said Addie’s name … oh my God! She called her Adeline.
There’s no way the woman I befriended is none other than Ryder’s ex-wife and egg donor. That would be too much of a coincidence—unless it wasn’t.
Oh God. I suddenly feel sick. All the times I confided in her about Brian, thinking she was my friend. She was gaining information to use against me. She was never my friend. She just wanted me out of the way so she could get her family back.
Bile rises in my throat, but I swallow it back down, not wanting to throw up with a cloth in my mouth. I glance up at Brian, but he’s not saying a word, focusing on driving.
Since I can’t speak to Violet to comfort her, I make eye contact with her and then nod for her to scoot closer. She edges as close to me as she can and then rests her head on my shoulder. I use my chin and the side of my face to try to soothe her the best I can while I watch the road, trying to figure out where Brian is taking us.
It would be a long drive all the way back to his house, and would he really be dumb enough to bring us there? He must know that Ryder is going to come looking for us. When I don’t call him back or show up at the house, he’s going to go in search of us.
I try to reach into my back pocket for my phone since my hands are restrained behind my back but instantly realize I don’t have it. Either Brian or Marie must’ve taken it from me. Hopefully, Brian has it so Ryder can track us, but I doubt they didn’t consider this. If Marie and Brian have been working together from the beginning, that means they’ve been planning this for months so they had time to think about everything.
The drive ends sooner than I expected at an old wood cabin in the middle the woods. I tried to follow the signs and turns, but at some point, the asphalt road turned into dirt, and the signs disappeared.
“Don’t even think about running,” Brian says, glaring at me in the rearview mirror. “There’s nothing but woods surrounding us. You’ll get lost and eaten by an animal before you’re ever found.”
I don’t know if he’s just saying that to scare us or if it’s true, but it’s something I’ll consider when Violet and I escape. Because we will escape. My hope is that Ryder will find us, but if he can’t, I’m going to get Violet and me out of here. I would rather risk the wildlife than be held captive by Brian.
“Let’s go,” he says, opening the door and pulling on my elbow.
Since I can’t speak, I glare and throw my elbow so he can’t touch me.
“Listen here,” he says, yanking me toward him. He grips my cheeks with one hand and squeezes so hard that it hurts. “That crazy chick was going to kill you, so be a little fucking grateful that I insisted on handling you myself and don’t act like a bitch.”
His eyes are devoid of all emotion, and I know nothing I say will convince him to let us go, so instead, I nod once in agreement. If I want to get Violet and me out alive, I need to play nice. Messing with the hornet’s nest will only get you stung.
Brian stares at me for several seconds and then nods back. He removes his fingers from my face and then leans into the car to pull Violet out. She fights him, and when he finally gets her out, her eyes are filled with tears.
I lock my eyes with hers, silently begging her to be good so he won’t hurt her, and as if she understands, she calms down and goes straight to me.
“You’ve always babied her,” Brian mutters. “Let’s go.”
He pushes us toward the house and then unlocks it, using a code that he doesn’t hide from us. I repeat the six numbers over and over in my head in case I need them later.
When we get inside, the place is furnished, but it’s not Brian’s taste, telling me this isn’t his house.
“It’s been a long day,” Brian says, closing the door, “so you’re going to make us dinner, and we’ll head out tomorrow morning.”
I refrain from rolling my eyes. Only Brian would kidnap us and then demand I cook for him, like we’re picking up right where we left off before he nearly killed me and I ran away.
“I’m going to take this out,” he says, “but if you scream, it’s going back in. And before you think it’s because someone can hear, they can’t because there’s no one around to hear. I just don’t want to listen to you scream when I already have a headache.”
He pulls the cloth out of my mouth, and I keep my mouth shut. Then, he pulls it out of Violet’s mouth, and she follows my lead. She’s hiccupping from crying, but she tries so hard not to make any noise.
“Turn around,” Brian says.
He unties my hands, then does the same thing for Violet.
“I missed you,” he says to me. “We were supposed to be creating a life together, and you disappeared. It hurt, and I was mad, but I know you were upset as well. I lost my cool and hurt you, and I’m sorry. It’ll never happen again, but you have to understand that I thought you were cheating on me, and look what happened when you left. You spread your legs for another man, like a whore.”
He tenses his jaw, and I stay quiet, not wanting to say the wrong thing. Finally, he sighs and shakes his head.
“Violet, go watch TV while your mom makes dinner.”
“Can I … can I go to the bathroom?” she whispers, breaking my heart.
It’s my job to keep her safe, and I’ve failed. Ryder told me not to go anywhere without him or security, and I messed up. Now, we’re both in danger.
“Go ahead,” he says. “Just keep in mind, if you do anything stupid, I’m going to have to hurt your mom. And I really don’t want to do that.”
Violet whimpers but nods in understanding.
Once she’s in the bathroom, Brian looks at me. “You fucked up, Kira. And it’s going to take some time to make things right. But hopefully, things will go back to normal soon.”
This man has seriously lost his ever-loving mind if he thinks I have any intention of letting anything between us go back to normal.
“You can start by showing me you can still be a good wife,” he continues. “There’s food in the fridge. Go start dinner.”
Violet comes out of the bathroom, and I smile softly at her, wanting to scoop her into my arms, but refraining because I don’t want Brian to get mad and do anything stupid.
She sits on the couch, and Brian hands her the controller so she can watch TV. He sits on the couch next to her and opens his laptop. Since she seems to be relatively safe, I start on dinner while I try to think of a way out of here.
I make a simple grilled chicken dinner with steamed broccoli and rice. While we sit at the table and eat, Brian talks about what’s going on with the law firm he’s a partner at, like it’s a normal day. I respond when he asks me questions, not wanting to upset him, and quietly encourage Violet to eat because I know she must be starved.
After dinner, I do the dishes and then give Violet a bath. Brian is out in the living room, working on his laptop, so while I wash her, I whisper so only she can hear.
“You’re doing so good, sweet girl. I don’t know how, but I’m going to get us out of here, I promise. You just keep being good. Okay?”
She nods and then wraps her arms around me. She’s wet, but I don’t care. I hold her tight and whisper, “I love you more than all the stars in the sky,” while she silently cries in my arms.
“I love you more than all the stars and the moon,” she whispers back, “and I really miss Ryder and Addie.”
“I know. I do, too, but we’ll see them soon.”
After her bath, I help her change into pajamas that Brian brought with him because he thought of everything, proving that this has been planned, and then I tuck her into bed. I hate that she’s sleeping alone in the room, but that’s what Brian said needs to happen.
“Is she sleeping?” he asks, not even bothering to look up.
Before we met Ryder, I thought it was normal for a guy to not help with bedtime or kiss his child good night. I thought it was because Violet wasn’t Brian’s, but now, I see that not all men are like this. Ryder says good night to Violet every night. He helps tuck her in, and he kisses her on her forehead, telling her that he loves her and to have sweet dreams.
“Yeah,” I tell him, thankful that he’s nothing like Ryder, which means he’ll stay away from Violet because he doesn’t care enough to pay her any attention.
Brian nods, then looks up at me. “Go take a shower. Wash that other man off you. Then, we can go to bed, and you can start trying to prove to me that you’re not a whore.”
I swallow anxiously at the thought of Brian touching me but nod in understanding, not wanting to piss him off.
“Do you have clothes for me?” I choke out.
“In the master bedroom, on the dresser.”
I keep my shower quick so Violet isn’t left alone for too long and then get dressed in the bedroom, thankful that Brian hasn’t attempted to come in. While I’m in here, I see his luggage, and after checking to make sure he’s still busy on his laptop, I search it for anything that can help me. I’m about to give up when I notice his bottle of sleeping pills in his toiletry bag. He takes them to help him sleep. Without them, he’ll toss and turn all night and then have trouble focusing the next day.
Quietly, I open the bottle and pour three into my hand. He normally takes one, so three should make him pass out. Before I close the lid, I add a few more because, fuck it, if it kills him, so be it.
Since he brought my hair dryer, I use it for the noise while I crush up the pills and then push the powder into a tissue that I fold up tightly and then stick into my pocket.
When I come out, he’s still working. I glance around and notice the bottle of scotch on the counter. He drinks every night while he works.
“Would you like a drink?” I ask softly, trying not to sound suspicious.
He glances up at me and smiles, and I’m reminded of why it was so easy to fall for him. Because he’s a master at hiding his darkness under his disarming smiles and charming words.
“That would be great. Thanks.”
I grab his glass and, without him seeing, pull the tissue out and drop the crushed pills into the bottom, then pour him three fingers, just like he likes. I mix it the best I can and pray he doesn’t notice.
“Here you go,” I say, handing him the drink.
He takes it from me, then pats the seat next to him. “Sit with me,” he says, and I do, hoping to distract him while he drinks.
“When we get home, things are going to be different,” he promises, taking a sip of his drink. “I know you ran because I’d hurt you, but next time, I need you to make better choices.”
I nod robotically, wondering how someone who looks so normal can be so fucked up.
“I’m sorry,” I murmur.
“I know you are,” he says, patting my thigh and then running his hand up my flesh, not stopping until he’s too close to the apex of my thighs.
He squeezes my leg, and I glance down at his hand, wanting to demand he take his fucking hand off me, but instead, I swallow it down and smile sweetly, praying that Violet and I make it out alive.
Brian takes another sip of his drink and types some more on his laptop while I sit obediently, watching as his drink slowly disappears.
Usually, when he takes a single pill, he passes out within thirty minutes, so I’m hoping since there are several pills, he’ll pass out quicker and go into a deep sleep.
“Hey, Brian,” I say, hoping to distract him and wanting some answers. “How did you meet Marie?”
“You mean Nora?” he scoffs. “Crazy bitch found me. Said she knew where you were and offered to help me bring you home.” He glances over at me, his eyes glossy, telling me that the pills are working. “You really should work on who you let into your life.”
Don’t I fucking know it?
“I thought she was my friend,” I admit.
“That’s because you’re far too trusting. You’ve seen the criminals I defend and the shit they pull. You’ve got to be smarter than that.” He shakes his head, but it’s slow because he’s fading fast. “Just be glad I insisted on taking you back,” he slurs. “If I hadn’t, she would’ve taken you out.”
“Well then, thank you for saving us,” I bite out, trying to remain pleasant.
He opens his mouth to respond, but his eyes flutter shut and then open, as if he’s struggling to stay awake. “Fuck, my head is all?—”
His words stop. He looks at his drink and then to me, and my heart sinks because he knows.
“You fucking bitch!” he slurs. “What did you give me?”
He reaches for me, but I’m quicker. I jump up from the couch and run to the kitchen. I consider grabbing a knife, but instead go with the frying pan I used to make dinner. I think hitting him with it will create more of an impact than stabbing him. I’ve never stabbed anyone before, and if I don’t take him out, he’s going to come after me, and I won’t win.
“Fuck!” he roars. “What did you give me?”
He comes around the corner, and without giving myself a chance to think, I swing the pan at his head, hoping it will knock him out, just like in the movies.
The first swing knocks him off-balance, but he doesn’t pass out, so I do it again and again.
Brian tries to fight me, but the pills are too strong, and he’s too dazed and weak to take me down. I hit him once more, and it knocks him to the floor. The side of his head is gushing out blood, and he’s struggling to get up.
I’m not sure if he’s going to pass out or come after me, so I throw the pan down and run to the room Violet’s in. I pick her up and make a run for it out of the house.
Brian is still on the floor, trying to get up, so I run as fast as I can while holding my five-year-old, and I keep running until we’re lost somewhere in the woods.
Then, I stop and look around and wonder what the hell I was thinking because we might be out, but I have no phone and no idea where we are.
Maybe choosing the woods over Brian wasn’t the best idea after all.