Chapter 45
Forty-Five
Washing her face in the bathroom sink, Roxy stared at her puffy eyes in the mirror.
The tears had been hard and brutal, the ache in her chest as she watched Travis leave killing her inside.
She’d let herself cry, and then when she was able to calm herself enough, she’d gone into the bathroom to wash her face of the salty tears that had covered her cheeks.
Her throat hurt from crying. She hated this.
Now that Free was gone, and she’d seen Levi leave shortly after, she had to go.
She needed to re-pack her suitcase. She would only take the one bag, needing to get as far away as possible before Neal came for her.
She needed to get away from Blue Haven, away from Jodi and Serenity and everyone here that was good and kind.
Leaving the bathroom, she had just crossed to the suitcase she’d left lying open on the couch when the door to the loft opened behind her. Travis? Had he come back? She whipped her head over her shoulder, but dread filled her like an icy bucket being dumped over her.
“Jesus, I thought he’d never get the hint.”
Tears stung her nose, fear clogging her throat at the sound of his voice.
The sunshine that had highlighted Travis as they’d stood outside as she’d pushed him away had disappeared, hidden by those dark, ominous storm clouds that had moved in rapidly.
The wind whipped in through the open doorway that he remained standing in, the chill from the coming storm rippling up her spine.
Or maybe that was just the bone deep fear settling in as those dark eyes tracked over her from head to toe and back again.
He closed the door behind him, and Roxy attempted to steady her racing heart, to take deep, even breaths.
“You did good,” Neal murmured gently as he stepped slowly toward her across the small space, his hands coming to rest on her shoulders.
The feel of his fingers on her skin made her stomach revolt.
How had she ever thought she could love him?
How could he ever think she would love him after everything he’d done?
The pain in Travis’s eyes as he’d walked away… he would never forgive her. But at least he was safe.
Her phone began to buzz where she’d left it on the counter, but she was too far away to answer it. She’d never get to it before Neal stopped her anyway.
“You did good, Rox,” Neal said again near her ear, his breath making her shiver in revulsion. “He’s still a dead man for putting his hands on you, but you did good. At least you don’t have to see it happen this way.”
Her heart fell into her stomach as fear and dread swamped her, making her vision blur.
The tears slid down her cheeks, and she reached out grasping the front of his shirt as she shook her head vehemently.
Her phone started ringing again, but she blocked out the buzzing sound, concentrating on Neal.
Her voice wavered precariously as she pleaded, “No, Neal, I sent him away, you don’t have to hurt him, please—”
Anger flashed in his eyes as his fingers clamped down on her wrists painfully. “I really do, Rox. Because even if you sent him away, you’re still in love with him, and that’s inexcusable. He touched you. You let him. You let him kiss you, and defile you… I can’t let that go.”
Tears slid down her cheeks and she shook her head. “No, please, Neal—”
His fingers tightened around her wrists until she cried out. “I told you what would happen if you ran, Rox. I warned you. And you didn’t listen. I warned you what would happen if I had to find you.”
“Neal, please—” Roxy begged, more tears slipping down her cheeks, over her lips. His grip on her wrists became painful, and she cried out again. “I’ll go with you. I promise, I’ll go. Just let him go, I’m sorry, baby—”
One hand released her wrist, and before she could blink, white hot pain exploded in her face.
Slumping to her knees, she swayed, her vision tunneling before returning.
He knelt in front of her, fisting her hair in his fingers tight enough to make her scream.
Scrabbling at the punishing hold on her hair with her fingers, she sobbed.
She was going to die. She was going to die, and she had hurt Travis, and for nothing. All of it had been for nothing. Despair choked her as he forced her head back so that she was staring up at him.
“You lie,” he snarled through clenched teeth.
“You and I both know that’s a lie, Rox. Don’t fucking lie to me, you stupid whore.
You spread these fucking legs for anyone, don’t you?
God, I should have fucking known better!
You’ve always been like this. My love was never going to be enough for you, was it? !”
“Neal, please, you’re hurting me—”
“We’re just getting started, Rox. You’ve been extraordinarily bad, and it’s going to take a lot for you to make up for everything you’ve done.
” Dragging her up to her feet by her hair, she screamed again, wrapping her fingers around his wrists to try and alleviate some of the sharp pain in her scalp.
She was shaking, trembling so violently she could barely stand. “Fucking move. Out the door. Now.”
“No, please—”
Snapping her neck so hard it cracked, he whipped her face toward him, banding his free hand around her throat like a vice. “If you fight me, Rox, I will walk over to that house and shoot those two women I know are inside.” A sob choked her.
“I won’t fight,” she whispered, pleading. “Just don’t hurt them. Please. Neal.”
“Let’s go,” he snarled, pushing her toward the door. The wind whipped around them, the sky dark, and rain began to pelt them. They had just made it to the bottom of the stairs when a car broke through the trees that lined the long gravel driveway, blue and red lights flashing.
Roxy sagged in relief. Oh, thank God—
The sheriff squad car came to a stop, and when the door opened, a tall, blonde deputy stepped out, hand already on his holster. Neal swore, moving them closer to her 4Runner, attempting to use it as a shield between them and the officer.
“Put your hands in the air!” the deputy shouted, and a heartbeat later his gun was drawn, aiming at them—no, aimed at Neal—but terror squeezed her chest tight enough to seize her breaths.
The deputy remained standing behind the opened door of his squad car, gun drawn and aimed at them over the top of the window. “Let her go!”
Neal reached behind him, and when he pulled his hand back, her gun was gripped in his fingers, pointing back at the deputy. The man was incredibly tall, most of his torso rising above the ledge of the window frame.
“Drop the weapon!” the deputy shouted, but Roxy knew he wouldn’t.
Time seemed to slow to a crawl as Neal’s finger depressed on the trigger, the noise of the blast screaming in her ear.
Or maybe that was her own scream that echoed inside her head as the bullet connected with the deputy’s chest, just to the left of his Kevlar vest. He went down, his head bouncing off the car as he fell backward, his body disappearing as he fell into the dirt.
Bucking wildly against the hold Neal still had on her, she managed to free herself, scrambling away a dozen feet before another shot rang out, a bullet ricocheting in the dirt to her right.
She screamed, coming to a halt, her body folding in on itself as she stared at how close that bullet had come to hitting her.
She was trembling violently as she turned slowly to face him.
His chest was heaving like a bellows, his arm outstretched, gun pointed directly at her.
His face was a vicious mask of rage, dark eyes blazing with fury, mouth twisted in hate.
“Look at what you made me do, Rox! Are you happy now?” he raged, his arm shaking with his wrath.
She shook like a leaf where she stood. “I don’t want to shoot you, Rox, but so fucking help me, I will. ”