Chapter Thirty-One
Caliana
S TIRRING AWAKE ONCE again, I find myself on the cold floor surrounded by small puddles of water I don’t remember being there when I attacked Darren despite being in so much pain.
If I thought I was cold before, it’s nothing compared to what I’m feeling right now.
The chill is deep in my bones as I try to force myself off the floor through barely opened eyes.
I can feel the blood caked on my face that’s helping hold my eyes closed and feel how swollen my eyelids are that I know will be black and blue.
My left arm is in the most pain followed closely by the pain in my ribs as I try to remember to take short breaths instead of full ones.
I won’t be able to take deep breaths for a while.
This isn’t the first time my ribs have been bruised.
I didn’t feel any of them break, but that doesn’t mean anything.
Turning my head to the side, I see Darren still laying motionless next to me.
Is he really knocked the hell out still? Or is he playing me?
Carefully and slowly, I get off the floor using every ounce of strength I have left in me.
When I manage to get on my knees, I reach over and search through Darren’s pockets while keeping my eyes locked on his face so I know if he wakes up.
I find a set of keys, his phone, and a pack of cigarettes.
Darren has never smoked a cigarette or anything else that I know of.
Now he apparently does. To each their own I guess.
Leaving the cigarettes behind, I keep the keys and cell phone in my hand.
Taking another breath, I push myself the rest of the way to my feet using Darren’s body to help me.
I see him start to stir as I move around him.
Bending down after putting the keys and phone in the pocket of my pants, I grab the pipe once again.
Usually, I wouldn’t use a weapon of any kind.
However, Darren is a lot bigger than I am and I’m already hurt.
With the pipe in hand, I start to beat on the man I’ve called my husband for eight years.
“This is for treating your son like shit every time you were home on leave. Here’s one for cheating on me throughout our entire relationship.
This is one for your daughter who you’ve never met.
She won’t have the tainted memories of you as a father the way your son does.
This one is for betraying all of us. For throwing the loyalty you were shown by Caleb and Kreed back in their faces.
And this one is for being a bitch instead of a man and owning up to how you felt about me and our marriage all these years.
This is goodbye, Darren. I hope I never fucking see you again,” I scream out, causing more damage as blood fills my mouth and I spit it out on the floor next to Darren.
“I hope you rot in hell and never feel a second of peace in your life again.”
Pulling out the phone, I tap the screen and find there’s no lock or pin needed to get into it.
It’s a cheaper version of a smart phone and I know no one will have the phone number for it.
This kind of breaks my heart because Caleb doesn’t always answer phone calls with numbers not saved in his phone already.
Hopefully today is not one of those days and he’ll answer me.
Looking around as I dial Caleb’s number from memory, I take in the cracked cement, the water leaking from various holes in the hallway, and feel the cold continuing to seep into my body.
It’s so dark with the only light coming from the small screen of the cell phone.
When I was younger, I used to be so scared of the dark.
I’d always have to have some kind of light there even if it was the smallest amount from a nightlight.
Caleb made sure to always leave a light on for me if I ever fell asleep with him.
He never once made me feel childish or ashamed to be scared of the dark.
Darren did. He forced me to get used to sleeping in the dark whether he was with me or not.
Now, I don’t fear it but the shadows being cast by the small amount of light as I walk down the hall toward a set of stairs.
While I press the call button after dialing Caleb’s number, I listen for any sign of Darren waking up after I hit him again. The phone rings and rings. It rings so long, I’m afraid of it going to voicemail instead of him answering my call.
“Who the fuck is this? Darren?” Caleb answers the phone, his voice hard and cold as it breaks like he’s crying.
My heart hurts with the thought of this man shedding a tear for any reason.
He’s not one to ever truly allow his emotions to be shown to others except on rare occasions.
The last time I saw Caleb completely break down was when we had Darren’s funeral.
He cried so hard he walked away and stood behind everyone else as Kreed and his dad made their way to his side.
Caleb was never left alone in his time of grief because we honestly had no clue how hard it would hit him and what he’d do.
“Caleb,” I cry out, a huge sob escaping me as I continue moving forward. “Help me, Caleb. Please help me.”
“Caliana!” Caleb practically yells through the phone and I know it's slight relief I hear in his voice. “Where the fuck are you?”
“I don’t know,” I tell him, my voice breaking as large tears slide down my face and land on the cement floor at my feet. “Right now I’m in a basement.”
“Okay, Reina. Are you hurt?” he asks me, anger filling his voice as I start walking up the stairs.
“Ah!” I scream out with the first step as my elbow hits the wall next to me.
“What’s wrong, Cali? Ya gotta talk to me, Baby,” Caleb pleads with me.
“Darren hit me in the elbow with a pipe. I heard it crack so I’m sure it’s broken or something.
My ribs hurt really bad too. Those aren’t broken though.
I’m walking up the stairs of the basement so it hurts.
And I hit my elbow on the wall,” I tell Caleb trying to focus on putting one foot in front of the other so I can get far away from Darren.
“Fucker!” Caleb yells out and I know he’s going to love getting his hands on the man I’m leaving behind once and for all.
“How are the kids? Are they okay?” I question Caleb needing to know nothing has happened to them.
“’Lil Bit, they’re okay. Right now they’re in the clubhouse with Sam, Maddie, and Shy.
Playboy and Tank are hangin’ out with Bryce so he’s not bored.
Bryce is worried about you. Keeps askin’ where you are and why you’re not home with them.
Caleb hasn’t seen them since you were taken.
We’ve been busy puttin’ plans in place to find you without searchin’ all over Glendale and the surroundin’ towns.
Do you know if you’re still in Glendale?
” Kreed answers me as I finally get to the top of the stairs and open the door in front of me.
Kreed took the phone from Caleb to answer me and I know it’s just so he can hear my voice and know I’m okay.
“I don’t know where I am. Or how much time I’ve been gone.
I was knocked out when I first got here.
I don’t even remember Darren hitting me after pulling me out the door of Kreed’s house.
I managed to get myself free once I distracted him and then knocked him out with the same pipe he was hitting me with.
I passed out again from the pain I was in and woke up a little while ago,” I tell my best friends as I walk through a house that looks as if it’s falling down and one good breeze will finish the job.
“Okay, Reina. We’ll find you. Master is trackin’ this number as we speak.
I need you to remain on the phone with me for as long as possible.
Can you do that?” Caleb asks, as I hear a door open and multiple voices sound in the background.
“You’ve got one hell of an army comin’ for ya, Cali.
Papa’s club just got here and so did my brother’s club. ”
“Cali! Where the fuck are ya?” Dylan yells, his voice full of worry.
“I don’t know, Dylan,” I cry out, not being able to hold back the tears as my body weakens further with every step I take.
“We got ya, ‘Lil Sis,” Dylan promises. “Got on the road as soon as Papa called us. Vault never moved so fast in his life for an old man.”
I can’t hold back the laughter as I hear Dylan and Vault go back and forth in the background. Vault can’t stand being called an old man even though he’s older than the rest of his club brothers. The boys all do it because they know he hates it.
“Need you to stay on the phone with me, Reina. Can you do that?” Caleb asks me once he has the phone back from his brother.
“Yeah. I won’t hang up. I need you, Caleb. I’ve always needed you,” I tell him honestly as I look for the front door of the house and finally find it through half-closed eyes. “Don’t be scared when you see me, Caleb. And don’t let the kids see me.”
“Why would I be scared, Cali?” he questions me, panic filling his voice as it wavers.
“I can feel the blood coating my skin and know it’s a lot. My clothes are torn more than they’re held together. I’m so cold. And the pain is making me shake more than anything,” I answer, my voice breaking as I finally reach the door. “Give me a second. I need to open the door to go outside.”
“Okay, Cali.”
Adjusting the phone in my hand, I open the door.
Darren didn’t even have it locked. He’s so dumb, thinking Caleb and Kreed wouldn’t come after me.
One thing I will say is Darren lets his ego get in the way more often than not.
He believes he’s untouchable and nothing will ever make his plan fail.
With the door open, I know I’m fucked. It’s raining hard outside, but I can’t remain in this house with Darren.
If he wakes up and I’m still inside, I’ll be beaten to death.
He won’t hold back and will take all the rage he’s feeling out on my already beaten body.
“I’m back, Caleb. It’s raining so hard outside. I know I can’t remain in the house though. If Darren wakes up and finds me, he’ll continue beating on me,” I inform Caleb as I step outside and close the door behind me.
“Do what you feel you have to, Cali. You know to trust your gut and if it’s tellin’ you not to stay in that house, don’t. Can you see anythin’ to let us know where you are?” he questions me and I know I have to look around the area in the dark.
“I can barely see anything out here. In the distance there are street lights. It’s toward the left of me as I stand on the front porch.
I’m surrounded by trees and the driveway is completely grown over.
The truck I saw Darren leaning up against that day is parked here next to the house.
This place looks as if it’s stood empty for years and a good breeze will knock the damn thing to the ground,” I state, looking around even more as I try to focus on the details despite the haziness of my vision.
“Okay, Cali. We got footage of him at an abandoned house on the outskirts of town. It should take us less than ten minutes to get to you. We’re headin’ out now, Reina,” Caleb promises me as I hear more movement from Caleb’s end of the call.
Loud voices and shuffling fill the call as I try to process what’s going on while putting one foot in front of the other one.
Caleb lets me know he’s gonna be silent for a second as he puts his helmet on and the Bluetooth connects the call to his helmet so he doesn’t have to hang up on me.
Caleb would remain on the phone with me even if he didn’t have the Bluetooth in his helmet.
I can’t even begin to think of how worried he’s been since being told I was taken from Kreed’s house.
I always knew he’d come save me. Caleb has always been my knight in shining armor.
“I’m back, Cali. Are you okay? Can you keep movin’?” he asks me as I hear the sound of so many bikes starting filling the call.
“I don’t know. I’m trying to move forward but it’s so hard. My body feels like it’s shutting down and each step is getting harder and harder to take. I’m so tired, Caleb. I’ve never been this tired in my life,” I answer, feeling myself fade with each small step I take.
“Stay awake for me, Reina. You’ve got this. You’re so fuckin’ strong and can do anythin’ you put your mind to. Don’t let Darren take one more thing from you, Baby.”
“I’m trying, Caleb. The kids and you are giving me the strength to keep moving forward when all I want to do is lay down and close my eyes.
I’m hurt, Caleb. Really hurt and I can’t even tell all the damage that’s been done to my body.
I might have internal injuries from when he used that damn pipe on me,” I inform him so he knows how bad I’m about to look when he sees me.
“You’re not leavin’ me, Caliana!” Caleb shouts in the phone so loud I have to pull it away from my ear.
“I’ve missed out on way too many years with you and I’m done feelin’ loyal to Darren.
He’s proven he no longer deserves my loyalty.
I love you, Caliana, and when I get to you, I’m never lettin’ you go again. You’re mine and everyone will know it.”
“I’ve always been yours, Caleb. I love you so much. I’m sorry,” I tell him as I make it to the road.
My steps falter just as I reach the cracked and broken pavement of a road long forgotten about.
Caleb starts calling my name as everything fades to nothing.
I drop to my knees and then barely manage to roll to my right side as the phone drops out of my hand and I start to lose consciousness.
Caleb’s voice yelling my name is the last thing I hear when everything finally fades into nothing and I let myself sink back into oblivion to visions of Caleb and my children surrounding me with love.