Chapter 31
Poppy had spent the drive with her face pressed into the floor of the van, her cheek rubbing on the rough mat when the car turned or hit a rut. She was then carried up some stairs and left in a room with the door locked.
There was a sofa that had four bright yellow pillows placed an equal distance apart.
A low table held four magazines with glossy covers stacked one on top of the other neatly.
The bed she sat on the edge of had a thick, quilted dark blue comforter and four matching pillows.
Everything in the room was perfect and soulless.
Nick’s house slid into her head, with its built-for-comfort sofa and beds, and the clutter that he’d assured her he needed. She wanted to see it again. Wanted to live her life there with him.
Her hands were still bound, and she was wondering how the hell she was getting out of this.
Anger was holding the fear at bay for now, but she knew that wouldn’t last when she saw Malcolm Davy. He’d tormented her, but he’d kept his distance, but now she had a feeling things would be different.
Poppy looked around for anything that she could use as a weapon. She had to believe that Nick would find her, so she needed to stay alive until he could.
The sound of footsteps had ice filling her veins. It was him. It had to be. She was alone here with a madman. Getting to her feet for no other reason than it made her taller, she watched the door open.
“Poppy. Finally, it’s just you and me.”
Malcolm Davy looked like a regular guy. Nothing was special about him. Average height, short brown hair, and what she’d once thought was a nice smile. He wore neat chinos and a polo shirt, both gray. But it was those cold eyes that sent chills through her.
“Nothing to say?” he asked, closing the door behind him. Poppy’s eyes went to the wooden crate he carried.
“Why are you doing this?” she asked, fear making the words high-pitched. What is he going to do to me?
“Because I want you. Your mind, your body, all of you, and you want me too.” He placed the crate on the table. “I know this was just a game for you, as it was for me. I thought of it as a long courtship,” he added, now facing her. “But I’m glad we are finally together.”
“You kidnapped me!”
“It was time. You’ve made me jealous and had your fun. Now is the right time for us to be together.” His voice wasn’t so calm now. “It was wrong of you to take Nick Atherton to your bed, but it is done, and now we move on.”
“I love Nick,” Poppy said. “I want to be with him, not you.”
He stopped a few feet in front of her.
“No. It’s me you love.”
“So, all this time, the torment and stalking, it was just because you love me?” Poppy scoffed. “That’s not love. You’re crazy and need to be locked away in an institution for the rest of your life. You and Denton.”
He didn’t like that, and Poppy knew she should be quiet and not antagonize him. Just do what he said until they found her. But this man had destroyed her life, and while she was terrified, she was also enraged over what he’d done to her.
“I’m not crazy. In fact, far from it. I just know what I want and am happy to wait to get it.”
She could see the madness in his eyes then. She didn’t know how he’d masked it in front of others for so long.
“I hate you,” Poppy said, trying to sound strong. “Loathe and detest you for what you have done to me. I will feel nothing but that for you forever.”
“No, you don’t. You love me.” He grabbed her shoulders, hauling her close so their mouths touched.
“Finally, we are together,” he whispered.
Poppy tried to bite him as his lips crushed hers.
Revulsion had her gagging as she struggled to get away from him, but with her hands tied behind her back, it was impossible.
He gripped her hair hard, holding her still.
“You’re mine,” he snarled against her lips, no longer controlled.
“Nick will find me!” Poppy raised her chin, forcing her head back, and then brought it forward fast, headbutting him. Her forehead connected hard with his nose, the force sending him back several steps, and his hands released her.
“Bitch!” The hand he lowered from his nose was red with blood.
“Coward,” she spat back. “You’re insane if you think you can get away with this.”
She watched as the anger dropped and a smile that sent shivers down her spine curved his lips. His eyes were ice-cold. He pulled a cloth from his pocket and used it to wipe his nose. He then reached into the crate he’d brought and pulled out a long chain. On the end were handcuffs.
“I’m going to teach you obedience, Poppy. My future wife needs to understand what I expect from her.”
“You can try,” Poppy said with far more strength than she was feeling. “But there is only one man I want for my husband, and it will never be you.”
“Poppy,” he said in a cool voice. “When I’m finished with your education, you’ll be begging for my love.”
Nick and his family had been told to let the police do their job. They would get Poppy back. He ignored that and followed the line of police cars as they drove out of the city.
“I mean it, Nick. You stay back. If you get in our way, you could jeopardize getting your girl away from Davy without injury,” Billy said, talking through the car’s speakers.
“We’ll stay back,” Sam said from beside Nick.
“My neck is on the line here. Benowitz is not happy you’re following.”
“I don’t give a fuck,” Nick snarled. “He had to know I would after I heard that address.”
“You all control him,” Billy said with a sigh.
“Will do,” Sam said.
The address Denton had given was about forty minutes out of town. A rural area with plenty of farmland.
They followed the three police cars down a narrow road and then pulled to the side and stopped.
“You!” Benowitz pointed at him as he got out. “Stay here while we find your girl. If you follow or get in our way, I’ll cuff you or shoot you.”
“He’s a scary motherfucker,” Sam muttered.
“I’ll stay out of your way, but I’m following,” Nick growled back at the man.
They eyeballed each other, and then Benowitz sighed. “Don’t impede what we need to do.” He then stomped away.
“You lot stay here,” Sam said. “I’ll go with Nick.”
“Why should you go?” Gracie demanded.
“Because I said,” Sam snapped.
Nick ignored them and started following the now heavily armed police officers down the road. One by one, they all moved into the trees that lined either side of the road and disappeared.
“It’s like an episode from Naked and Afraid , but we have our clothes on,” Em whispered from behind him. This was followed by a loud hiss for her to shut up.
He crept slowly behind Billy, who he’d kept eyes on. There was barely a rustle now as they moved. Even his siblings had managed to stay silent.
When Billy raised a hand, he dropped to a crouch. His cousin then gave him a look and pointed a finger at him, mouthing one word. “Stay.”
He then watched the police move to the house. Nick’s heart was beating so hard, it hurt. Is Poppy inside? Had Denton told us the truth? After the years Malcolm Davy had been tormenting his girl, had it come to this? Was she?—
No, he wasn’t going there. Poppy would walk out of that house safe.
He watched Benowitz move to the front door and try the handle. It was locked. Police circled the house in a crouch. Nick looked for windows but couldn’t see in, as the curtains were drawn.
“Let them do their job,” Sam whispered in his ear.
It went against everything inside him to stay crouched where he was. Nick kept his eyes on the house as two cops stood on either side of the front door. One raised a hand, and when two fingers were up, Benowitz stepped up to kick the front door open.
“Police!” he roared.
Nick heard shouts of “Drop your weapon!” Nick shrugged off Sam and got to his feet as Benowitz and three officers charged into the house.
“Wait, Nick! If you go in, you could get her killed,” Sam said.
Nick’s fists clenched as he watched that door. “I can’t see what’s going on. She has to be all right.” The words came out with a low growl.
“She will be.”
It felt like hours, but Nick knew it was only minutes before he saw them dragging a cuffed man from the house. He’d seen the picture of Malcolm Davy and knew it was him.
“I’m killing him!” Nick started running. The cops saw him coming.
“She’s alive but hurt,” one of them called to him. “Go inside.”
Davy raised his head, and Nick saw the insanity that he’d hidden for years. Changing direction, he sprinted into the house and took the stairs up to find Benowitz crouching before Poppy, who was seated on the bed.
“Poppy.” The word came out raspy. She turned, and he saw the tears and marks on her face that Davy had put there. “Baby.” He ran, and Benowitz, who was uncuffing her feet, rose.
Nick caught her as she hurled herself at him.
Safe. His girl was in his arms, where she was staying.
“I love you, Poppy. Let’s go home, baby.”
“Yes, I want that,” she whispered into his neck.
“I checked her over and don’t think she needs to go to the hospital. But she’s bruised and in shock, so maybe it’s a good move,” Chief Benowitz said.
“I know a doctor. Can I get him to come to the house to check her over?” Nick asked. His arms were holding her too tight, but he couldn’t let her go. Benowitz nodded.
“I’ll be in touch, Miss Sylvester, but I think we can say that the hell Malcolm Davy put you through is now over.”
He heard the sob she released into his chest. Nick then picked her up and carried her out of the house, to his family.
Three hours later, Nick said goodbye to the Atherton clan and shut his front door. His cousin had given Poppy something for the pain and to help her sleep. Nick had put her to bed and checked on her every ten minutes. He was now going to join her.
“She’s okay, buddy,” he said to the cat, who was eyeballing him from the stairs. “Go and eat your food,” he added.
Passing him, he took a shower, then let himself into his bedroom. She didn’t want the curtains shut, but as it was nearly dark, he did to keep the room warm.
Taking off his towel, he pulled on a pair of boxers and climbed into bed.
“Nick?”
“Right here.” He pulled her into his arms, her back to his front. She relaxed into him.
“How do you feel?”
“Better. Weird, but happy it’s over.”
“I love you, Poppy, and I know this, us, is new, and it all started under unusual circumstances?—”
“It did.”
“But I love you and want you to stay here with me. Don’t go. Be my girl.” He kissed the side of her neck. “Besides, your cat would miss me if you left.”
“Okay.”
“Just okay?”
She turned in his arms until they were nose to nose.
“Okay, I love you too, and I realized when I was with him that not seeing you again would destroy me. I want to wake up in your arms and be part of your wonderful family, Nick.”
“That’ll work.” He kissed her.
“I want us to have a happily ever after, Nick.”
“That works too. But for now, you need sleep, and I need to hold you.”
“I can handle that,” she said around a yawn. “Thank you for saving me, Nick, and I’m glad we found our way back to each other.”
“So am I, baby.” He kissed her head. “Sleep now and know you’re safe.”
“Safe,” she whispered, a tired smile on her lips. “What a wonderful word.”
Nick watched her fall asleep and thought it was something he’d never tire of. Minutes later, he joined her.
***
Thank you for reading This Time I’m Keeping You, I hope you enjoyed Nick & Poppy’s story.