Chapter 28
Caydence
I watch the way the ring sparkles under the lights as Devon drives us home. I’ve never had anything this nice before in my life. I never imagined anyone wanting to marry me either.
And the fact that I said yes? I should be locked away somewhere, right? This can’t be happening, can it?
We pull up to the house, and Devon climbs out, coming to open my door. He helps me out with a smile on his face that says he’s happy he got what he wanted. Not that he doesn’t always. He holds my hand in his as we walk to the front door, and as soon as we step inside, I see it.
“Devon, No. You can’t.”
“Come on, Caydence. You don’t even know who it is,” he says as I look at someone with a bag over their head on their knees on the floor.
“It doesn’t matter! You can’t keep doing this!” I start to back up, but he stops me.
“This is it. I promise, this is it,” he tells me.
“Please, don’t.”
“You don’t know who it is, Caydence,” he snaps at me.
“It doesn’t fucking matter! You can’t do this again.”
“I don’t have a choice. Wyatt,” he says, and I watch as his friend walks around the corner and stands behind the person. “Pull the hood off,” he orders. Wyatt does as he’s told and pulls the hood off, and I gasp in shock. I stumble back and hit the wall, confused.
“You get it now?” Devon asks me.
“Why is he here?”
“He’s your gift, baby. This is what I got you,” Devon tells me.
“Get him out of here,” I beg him. Devon laughs and shakes his head as I look at the asshole in front of me in the eyes. The asshole who abused me, used me, beat me, and tormented me.
“He can’t hurt you again, Caydence. In fact, he isn’t going to hurt anyone again.”
“Let him go.”
“No. Did you know you weren’t the only girl this piece of shit hurt? No. Come to find out, there have been many after you.”
“Stop,” I tell him, not wanting to hear it. My foster dad sits on his knees on the floor with a gag in his mouth, watching me, and it makes my stomach churn.
“Abused them. Broke their bones. Just like he did to you,” Devon reveals as my stomach drops. I shake my head as I look at him. He looks the same, only a little older, a little greyer.
“Devon, I can’t do this,” I tell him.
“This is it, Caydence. After him, that’s it.”
“There were others,” I tell him, knowing that he’ll go after anyone who hurt me, and I know it.
“Yeah, there were. But one died in a work accident and the other overdosed, so they took themselves out,” he informs me. I shake my head, not knowing what to do now. Devon walks over behind Tom and tugs at his hair so that he lifts his head further.
“I wanted to draw this one out, but seeing how we got engaged tonight, I’d much rather celebrate that.”
“Please, don’t. Not here,” I beg him. Devon doesn’t care that I’m begging. He’s doing this for me. Again.
“I’m sorry, Caydence. This has to be done. We have to be able to move forward from all this mess. You need to feel some sense of peace, and I’m going to make sure you get that.”
“We have to live here,” I tell him.
“Is that what’s bothering you? We can do it someplace else,” he offers. I nod my head. I would much rather he not kill someone in the house I have to live in.
“Not here,” I say as tears fall down my cheeks.
“Okay, baby. Not here, but first, do you have anything you want to say to him?” What the hell could I possibly say to him? I shake my head, but Devon just chuckles.
“I do. I think you’re a piece of shit for putting your hands on her. You broke her bones.” He nods to Wyatt. He shoves him to the ground, and Devon grabs his arm in his hands and steps on the other part before breaking his arm. A scream leaves my lips, but I know no one will hear me out here.
Tom screams in pain when Devon continues.
“You broke her rib,” he states before he kicks Tom in the ribs as hard as he can.
“You also broke her fingers,” he reminds him before moving to his hand next. Wyatt grabs his hand and holds it flat on the floor, where Devon stomps his fingers while Tom screams.
I wrap my arms around myself and hold on tightly as tears run down my face.
“I won’t kill him here, but I needed you to see he’s dead,” Devon says, looking up at me. I nod my head shakily before he walks over and takes my face in his hands.
“I love you, Caydence. No one is ever going to hurt you again while I’m breathing,” he promises me. He isn’t joking. No one will dare lay a finger on me again. No one. He will kill anyone who tries, and I know it. “I’m going to let Wyatt handle him from here, okay? I’ll stay with you.”
“Wha-what?”
“Or would you prefer I do it?” he asks. I shake my head rapidly, and he nods, agreeing with me. I can’t have that on my conscience, knowing he killed someone else. It’s making me sick to my stomach even to think that he’s ordering Wyatt to do it.
“I’ll take care of it,” Wyatt offers as he hauls Tom to his feet and nearly drags him out the front door. I stand here, shaking and uncertain what to do now.
Devon comes toward me, and I jolt a little. His hands come down to rest on my shoulders, and his warmth seeps into me.
“Don’t be afraid. You know I’d never hurt you,” he says softly. I nod my head. I know he wouldn’t. Not in the physical way, at least.
“Where is he taking him?” I ask now.
“Doesn’t matter. You don’t need to know.”
“He’s going to kill him, though, right?”
“Yeah. He’s dead.”
“I … I don’t … I don’t know what to say,” I admit to him.
Devon smiles and pulls me into his arms, where I always feel the safest, and that’s the ironic part of it all.
How do I feel safe in these arms? Even after I know what he did.
What he’s having him do. I’m torn, confused, but also know I’m safe with him.
I’ve never been safer in my life, and that’s saying something.
I know deep down I shouldn’t feel this good with someone who could so easily kill another, but I do. I feel like I have everything I could ever need and want with him.