27. Carlee
Chapter 27
Carlee
Two and a half years ago…
Opening my eyes, I find myself in my favorite place… wrapped in my fiancé’s arms. One of his hands is cupping my boob. He always does this, like a small child who clings to their safety blanket during sleep. Grayson’s face is buried in my hair and I smile when I hear his soft snores in my ear.
We’re both naked, his front is pressed into my back. The little spoon to his big, which is something I’ve grown to love. I’m no longer haunted by my past, and I have this beautiful man to thank for that.
I fill my lungs with air as a sense of peace settles over me. In my wildest fantasies, never did I imagine life would be this good. And I know as the years pass, with Grayson by my side, things will only get better.
He’s already given me so much in the short time we’ve been together, but the greatest gift of all, the one thing I treasure most, is the freedom his love has brought me. It’s like I’ve spent my life living amid a hurricane, but now the torrential wind and rain is gone, and the dark and dreary clouds that once littered the sky have parted, and been replaced with a bright and colorful rainbow.
I smile to myself knowing this is what my future holds, he’s a dream come true.
Extending my left arm out in front of me, I rotate my hand from side to side, admiring the sparkly ring that now adorns my finger. I can’t stop looking at it. It’s the most stunning thing I’ve ever seen, even rivaling the rock Emma’s now sporting. Not that size is important to me. I would have been satisfied with a plastic ring, from a gumball machine, if it meant I’d get to keep Grayson by my side for the rest of my life.
As I reach for my phone that’s sitting on the bedside table, next to Grayson’s, my stomach growls. I haven’t eaten since breakfast, which is like a world record for me. After the proposal, we ended up back in bed, where he showed me without uttering a single word just how much he loved me.
It’s almost two o’clock, and I need sustenance, I’m starved. I’m pretty sure our marathon sex session burnt off more than just the calories I consumed this morning.
Gently removing Grayson’s arm that’s draped over my waist, and the one clutching my right breast, I climb out of bed, careful not to wake him.
Grabbing his discarded T-shirt from the floor, I bunch up the fabric as I bring it to my nose and inhale. It smells just like him. I’m smiling as I slip it over my head.
When I get to the kitchen, I pour myself a large glass of water and gulp it down. I’m going to make us a plate of PB and J sandwiches and take them back to bed.
“Knock, knock,” I hear someone call out as I reach for the loaf of bread. That voice . Those words. It has all the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end.
I feel like I’m being drawn back in time .
I swing around just as the devil himself opens the front screen door and enters the cabin. Bobby . What in the hell is he doing here?
I blink my eyes a few times, thinking I’m imagining him. If this is a bad dream, I want to wake up immediately. I refuse to have the best day of my life, tainted by thoughts of this monster.
The hand by my side grabs a chunk of my outer thigh, and I wince when I push my fingers together and feel the sting of the pinch. This is no nightmare. My heart rate spikes when he comes to an abrupt halt, and the color drains from his face. He recognizes me instantly.
Oh, dear God, please don’t let this be real. I feel my body sway as he recovers from his initial shock and rushes in my direction. Everything in me wants to turn and run, but I just stand there, paralyzed by fear and unable to move.
I’ve trained for situations just like this since I was a teenager, but even when he pulls a small handgun from the waistband of his trousers, I still can’t bring myself to react. After working with assault and domestic violence victims over the years, I’ve learned there’s a third element to fight or flight. It’s freeze . That’s what I’m experiencing right now.
“Well, well, well,” Bobby says, raising his arm so the gun is now aimed at my head. “So, you’re the new piece he was telling me about? My nephew’s one lucky son of a bitch.” The predatory shark-like smile he gives me has all the tiny hairs on my arms standing on end.
Nephew?
“Grayson’s your nephew?”
“You didn’t know? He’s the son of my baby brother, Robert, or Bobby-boy as I used to call him.”
Bobby-boy ?
He stalks in a circle around me, and I can feel his leering eyes as they skate over every inch of my body. It makes my skin crawl.
As he passes in front of me, I take in his features, and the similarities stand out. The angle of his nose, his full lips, the strong cut of his jaw. His hair and eyes may be a different color, but the family resemblance is there.
I remain frozen, but my eyes track his every move.
The smile drops from his face as he seems to mull something over in his head. “Life just handed those fuckers everything,” he sneers. “Neither one had to work for a damn thing. The golden boy and his little prodigy.”
I can hear the disdain in his voice. It sounds like a combination of jealousy and hate. Is that why the brothers never got on?
His gaze returns to me. Thankfully, Grayson’s T-shirt lands just above my knees, but I’m completely naked underneath.
“The resemblance between you and that crazy-ass mother of yours is uncanny. It was her beauty that first drew me in. She doesn’t hold a candle to you though, fuck, just looking at you makes me hard. Do you have any idea how often I’ve thought about that night, Carlee? That pussy of yours… it was so fucking tight.”
He reaches down and palms his dick through his trousers as he speaks, and I cover my ears and clench my eyes closed. I’m not only trying to block out his words but the mental images they bring. The one blessing he spared me from all those years ago, were the details. That’s something I’ve always been thankful for.
Even though I can no longer see him, I flinch when I feel the cold metal against my skin, as the barrel of the gun tracks a path down the side of my face.
“You’re all grown up now.” He pushes his body flush with mine, and I can feel his erection digging into my lower back. His free hand reaches up to palm one of my breasts. “I like the idea of my nephew getting my sloppy seconds.” His warm breath against my skin makes me want to hurl.
My body may be immobile, but my mouth doesn’t seem to have an issue. “You’re a sick fuck.”
“And you’re about to get a bullet through that pretty little head of yours if you don’t shut the fuck up.” He jams the gun into my temple to emphasize his threat. “Now, here’s what we’re going to do. You’re going to collect your things and leave, ceasing all further contact with Grayson.”
“You can’t ask me to do that.”
“I wasn’t asking, bitch.”
He snickers like the sadistic psycho he is as his free hand fists a clump of my hair. It hurts, and I want to cry out from the sting, but I refuse to give him the satisfaction. When he starts dragging me across the room, my scrambled brain is frantically searching for a way out of this mess.
“I won’t tell anyone what you did to me; I promise.”
“I have a wife and kids to protect, a life I love, so I’m not taking chances. Up,” he says, shoving me toward the rung of the ladder. “One false move and I’ll not only kill you, and fuck your corpse, I’ll make lover boy watch before he suffers the same fate.”
“You’d kill your own flesh and blood?”
“Without batting an eyelid.” I see the truth in his eyes, and it makes my blood run cold. It’s one thing to hurt me, but I can’t let him do that to Grayson. “You know there’s nothing that will stop me from getting what I want… I’m sure you remember how I got my hands on you. And what a glorious moment that was. Besides, that bo y’s a spitting image of his dear old dad, and for that reason, I’ve always despised him. I only spent time with him when he was a kid, because I knew my brother would turn over in his grave seeing me interact with his precious family.”
His lips curve into a smile, proving yet again just how deranged this man is.
He shoves the gun into my back, indicating with the tilt of his head that he wants me to start climbing. I hesitantly do what he’s asking. I’ll do anything he says if it keeps Grayson safe.
I reach the top and maneuver myself onto the landing of the loft, remaining on my hands and knees. I glance over my shoulder and see Jason standing on the top rung of the ladder. I could easily extend my leg backward and with enough force kick him off, where he’d hopefully fall to his death on the ground below, but when I notice the gun in his hand is now trained toward the bed where the love of my life sleeps, a completely different kind of fear envelops me.
I need to gather my things without waking Grayson and get the hell out of here. I refuse to do anything that will jeopardize his safety, even if doing so could potentially save my own life. That’s what true love is right? It’s making sacrifices for the people you care about.
Once I’ve packed everything up, I chance one last glance over at the bed. Will this be the last time I ever see him? My heart hurts at the thought. I cover my mouth with my hand, to muffle the sob, as I make my way back toward the ladder.
As soon as I step down off the last rung, with my backpack slung over my shoulder, Jason wraps his hand around my upper arm and starts dragging me toward the front door .
I can’t sneak out like this, not without doing something to stop Grayson from coming after me. “You know he’s going to look for me when he wakes. He’s not going to accept I’ve left, especially without an explanation.”
Jason pauses, letting my words settle in before turning and moving us toward the kitchen. When we get there, he opens the top drawer and retrieves a notepad and pen, slapping it down onto the countertop.
“Leave him a note.”
“I-I don’t know what to say.” My voice cracks as I speak.
I hate that I’m showing him my weakness. My hands may be lethal weapons, but in a matter of minutes, I’ve been reduced to the helpless child he once took advantage of.
“I don’t give a fuck what you say to him, just do it,” he snarls, digging the gun into the side of my head. “Now!”
So many words run through my mind, but nothing I write will be able to convey the heartache and loss I’m feeling.
I’m sorry that my mother’s poor choices have again ruined my life.
I’m sorry that this piece of shit is a relative of yours.
I’m sorry that I’m forced to break your heart, but the reality is you’ve always been too good for me anyway.
I want to rip this motherfucker’s heart out with my bare hands. If it wasn’t for the immediate threat to the man I love, who’s lying upstairs blissfully unaware of the havoc that’s about to rain down on his life, I wouldn’t hesitate to do just that. Something inside me breaks when I think about what Grayson’s going to face when he finally wakes. He doesn’t deserve this.
“Hurry the fuck up,” Jason grumbles, slapping the pen into my chest .
My hand is trembling as I wrap my fingers around it and move it toward the notepad. In the end, I settle on two words.
I’m sorry.
A tear slips down my cheek as I remove the ring Grayson placed on my finger a few hours ago. I bring it toward my mouth and place a soft kiss on it before laying it on top of the paper. My heart is shattered beyond repair and I already know I’ll never fully recover from this.
Jason reaches down and scoops up my bag, hustling me outside. When we reach his car, he opens the passenger door and shoves me inside. Is this the end for me? Is he going to kill me and dump my body in the forest? Death is probably best because being forced to live a life without Grayson’s love is a fate far worse.
Half an hour later he pulls up alongside a gas station. We are in the middle of nowhere.
He reaches across me, tugging on the handle and opening my door. I’m perplexed is he letting me go?
“You go near Grayson, or tell anyone what happened, your mother will be the first one to die, followed by lover boy.” He roughly grasps hold of my chin. It hurts, but again I remain passive. He’d probably take pleasure in the knowledge he’s hurting me. “I’m not fucking around here, Carlee, so heed my warning if you don’t want blood on your hands.”
With that, he shoves me with such force, I tumble from the car. I land on my side in the dirt with a thud. By the time I push to my feet, he’s already reached into the back seat and grabbed my backpack, tossing it out, just like he did me.
He slams the passenger door shut and leaves a cloud of dust swirling around me as he hastily drives away. I stand there rooted to the spot until his car finally disappears from view. It’s only then that I let the gravity of this situation sink in.
Falling to my knees I begin to weep.
I take his warning seriously; this man is a monster. I may have the power to destroy him, but he’ll do anything to keep his secret safe, and that’s a chance I’m not willing to take.
I knew what I had to do. As hard as it was going to be to walk away, I needed to disappear, it was the only answer.