Chapter Twenty-Two
Peyton
WAKING UP, I immediately know I’m in the hospital.
The smell alone is more than enough for me to realize that’s where I am.
Add in the beeping of the heart monitor and there is no doubt where I am.
There’s still a small bit of my memory missing and I can’t remember how I got from the clubhouse to Clark’s wife’s house.
At least I’m assuming it’s her house. Or their house, I should say.
I remember everything that happened to me while I was there and awake, but I’m unsure if anything happened to me while I was unconscious.
All of my clothes were in place the entire time I was in that house so I know I wasn’t assaulted in that way.
No, I was only beaten physically by that psycho bitch Clark called a wife.
She beat the hell out of me when she discovered I told her the truth about being the sole beneficiary of the insurance policy I took out on Clark because he wanted me to.
When it was proven I was telling the truth, she went off.
Stormed back in the room I was being held in and beat the hell out of me.
I don’t think there’s an inch of my body that wasn’t hit in some way.
Especially my ribs. She was trying to break every single one of them and I think she succeeded in breaking a few of them based on how hard it is for me to breathe.
What really threw her over the edge was when she discovered that she couldn’t sell my house because it was in my name only and I had already sold it off.
That really pissed her off because it was her backup plan and I made sure it didn’t happen.
I’ve seen people go off on rages before, but this woman completely lost her shit.
It was so bad, the three men working with her tried to pull her away from me and it took all of them to make it happen.
That was the last time I saw them until they showed back up and she had a knife.
That time she came in ranting as if she were losing her mind and talking to herself instead of me or anyone else in the room with us.
I don’t know what made this woman lose her mind, but if this is the type of person Clark truly loved, then I have no clue what the fuck he was doing with me.
Honestly, I feel sorry for her children because they have to live with this woman.
Though, I did hear from one of the men she no longer has custody of them.
Clark’s family took them from her and are now raising them in her place.
Maybe that’s what threw her over the edge and made her snap.
I know if I lost my children, I’d lose my fucking mind and would probably snap as well.
Though, I don’t truly believe she has a single maternal bone in her body with how selfish she came off to me.
Not once did she mention her children or that she was trying to get money to raise them and ensure their future.
When Clark died, that was my only concern.
Making sure Cedric and Caydence were taken care of and had what they needed.
Honestly, I was just buying time because I knew there was no way in hell Matt was gonna let this woman hold me hostage for too long.
He would lose his shit when he found out and do everything in his power to bring me back home to our children and himself.
So, I kept my mouth shut after that first meeting and didn’t say a single word to the woman or men.
That only made her even more pissed off because I wasn’t giving in to her theatrics.
“You’re awake,” Matt says, his voice heavy with sleep as I turn my attention over to him.
“How bad is it?” I return, my voice cracking and breaking from the damage done to me and however long I’ve been out of things. “How long have I been asleep?”
“It’s not the best, Tutor. You had to have surgery to remove your spleen.
There was internal bleedin’ and they got it stopped when they removed that.
Your left wrist is broken and the right one is rubbed raw from the rope that was holdin’ you to the bed.
Your left ankle is also badly sprained. It’s not broken and the doctor said you’re very lucky with the amount of damage that’s been done to it.
Your ribs aren’t broken, but they’re severely bruised.
It will take them a while to heal. There’s also a nasty gash on your head.
It was enough to give you a concussion. Other than that your wounds are superficial.
Bruisin’ and shallow cuts to your body. She really did a number on you and will pay for everythin’ she did,” Matt tells me, reaching over and pouring me a fresh glass of water before holding it for me to take a few small sips of.
“Matt, I don’t remember everything that happened.
There’s a small amount of time I’m missing.
The last thing I remember is walking in the clubhouse with Kimber and my dad.
Then there’s nothing there until I wake up in that room,” I tell him honestly as he presses his forehead against mine gently and I close my eyes and simply enjoy the closeness of him.
This is something I started to doubt I’d ever have again.
“That’s okay, Tutor. It will come back to you.
Just know that we’ll deal with everyone who hurt you.
Well, we’ve already dealt with them. The only time I left the hospital was when you were in surgery because I was like a damn caged animal and started scarin’ everyone here.
Your dad kept me updated the entire time I was gone.
Did that bitch say anythin’ to you when you were there?
” Matt asks me as he sits back and moves his chair even closer to the bed where I’m lying.
“This was all about money. I knew Clark was never faithful to me, but I had no clue he was married to another woman and our marriage was never legal. Didn’t know Cedric and Caydence weren’t his only children either.
She told me I was never entitled to the insurance policy.
I’m the one who paid for it and Clark is the one who chose me to be his beneficiary.
I really didn’t expect that from him because he never gave me anything after we were married.
Even the few gifts he gave me when we were dating were cheap and insignificant.
I truly never kept a single one of them.
Yet, I have things you gave me when we were in school put up in a box,” I tell him, giving Matt one of my biggest secrets that I’ve held close for a very long time.
“You have things I gave you when we were in school?” Matt asks me, his voice full of shock as he looks me deep in the eyes to find the truth.
“I did. You gave me a few notes left in my locker about our tutoring times. The concert we all went to that Kimber talked me into going with you guys. I dried the flowers you brought in that one day when you knew I was having a bad day. Small things like that. Even though they probably didn’t mean anything to you, they meant a lot to me.
They still do,” I say, averting my eyes from the man who has given me a reason to wake up every morning.
“I gave you all of those things because I loved to see you smile, Peyton. Your smile lights up a room and pulls everyone near you in. I know you’ve never seen yourself that way, but it’s how I’ve always seen you.
Your smile is radiant and one of the best parts of my day.
I’ve missed seein’ it over the last few months with the stress you’ve been under dealin’ with this stalker bullshit.
But that’s over and you don’t have to worry about any of them ever again.
Clark’s wife has been beaten and sent to prison.
The Slayer Slit who tricked you away from the compound was beaten and banished from the club and Frostford.
She’ll never be allowed back again. None of our allies will allow her near their club either.
The men who were there, well, that’s a different story,” Matt informs me, his voice almost a whisper as he looks at me and gently lifts my hand in his to press a kiss against the back of it.
“I’m free?” I question him, my own voice a broken whisper as my eyes fill with tears.
“You’re free, Baby. None of them will ever hurt you again.
There won’t be anyone stalkin’ you. You can roam the compound wherever you want and not have to worry about someone attackin’ you.
You can come into town to shop or just hang out and no one will get near you,” Matt informs me as he looks me straight in the eyes so I can see the truth of his words.
“Thank you, Matt. You’ve given me the greatest gifts I could ever receive. Two more children and the freedom I’ve been craving since this entire situation with the stalker started,” I tell him honestly as a knock sounds on the door and an older woman walks in with a tablet in her hands.
“It’s good to see you awake, Miss Mills. I’m Dr. Ashford and have been taking care of you since you were brought in. How are you feeling?” she introduces herself to me with a soft smile on her face as Matt leans back in his chair to give her room to speak to me.
“I’m hurting, but it’s nothing I can’t deal with.
My entire body aches and the worst of the pain is in my abdomen and ribs.
Matt told me my ribs are bruised and I had to have my spleen removed.
I’m guessing that’s the cause of the pain I’m currently in.
The most concerning part for me is that I’m missing a small part of my memory,” I tell the doctor honestly as she frowns when I mention losing part of my memory.