Authors: Tawnya Jenkins
Chloe
Caleb called shortly after my unexpected call from Travis, he said he was running late and offered to pick us both up some breakfast. He’s so sweet. I’m feeling a little uneasy after Travis’ call, he didn’t seem too happy about me working here. Caleb had told me he knew but didn’t care. Someone was lying to me.
I busied myself typing up some memos and making some changes to Caleb’s schedule to accommodate his new arrival time.
“Morning beautiful, miss me?” Caleb sauntered in carrying some muffins and coffee.
I smile, “Well of course I did now that you are bringing me caffeine.” He sits the stuff on my desk.
“Oh she wounds me,” he chuckles and touches his chest.
It reminds me of Travis and I feel the smile leave my face. I can feel Caleb’s eyes on me but I just continue typing.
“Did I say something to upset you?” he asks.
“Oh, um no…it’s nothing. Um Travis, I mean Mr. McGuire called a little while ago.”
Caleb places his hand over mine on the computer, making me stop typing.
“You want to talk about it?” he asks.
I just shake my head and stare his hand covering mine. “Ok, well I have some calls to make but how about we go for a jog around 10am?”
“I would love that, thank you. I rearranged some of your meetings and I’ve already downloaded your updated schedule to your Blackberry and your email.”
“Aces…you’re amazing, thank you,” he says with a smile as he heads for his office.
I exhale the breathe I was holding and bury my head on my desk. Why does my life always have to suck? I want to call Travis back, apologize to him; but I can’t. He needs to stay away from me it’s safer that way. Mac was two states away and it didn’t’ save him, Travis wouldn’t stand a chance. A chat box pops up on my screen from Caleb informing me to hold all his calls for the next hour. I click confirm and resume my duties.
I can’t wait for my morning run, it’s been far too long since my legs have had a workout and they’re in desperate need of one. Time flies by and before I realize it Caleb emerges from his office wearing a pair of jersey style shorts and tank top.
“You about ready to head out?” He asks.
“Absolutely, let me just go in the bathroom and change,” I say with a smile as I take my gym bag into the restroom. I brought my yoga pants and blue tank top. My hair was already swept up so I don’t need to bother with it. When I come out of the bathroom Caleb’s mouth practically drops.
“Wow, you look spectacular,” he smirks.
“Oh, uh thanks.” I say, clearly blushing now.
Just as we get ready to hit the elevator my desk phone rings. I jog back and answer it as Caleb holds the elevator door.
“Caleb Jones’ office, Chloe speaking how can I help you?”
“Where are you going dressed like that?” Travis’ voice echoes through my ear.
I start looking around, “Travis?” I whisper. “How do you know what I’m wearing?”
“I’m head of security darlin, I know everything. Now answer my question. What are you doing with him Chloe?”
“Nothing, he’s my boss, Travis. It’s not really any of your business anymore though.” I respond.
“None of my business? So that’s it then, you just walk away without saying a word and now you’re going to screw your boss?” He spat.
“I have to go Travis.”
I hang up. Now I certainly need a run now, how dare he say those things to me. Caleb gave me strange look but I just shook my head.
Travis
I wanted to reach through that phone ring her damn neck. Well not really but I’m so damned pissed. I know she’s not sleeping with Caleb, she’s not Sam; but still I don’t like it. Staring at the surveillance screen I watch as she walks into that damn elevator wearing those tight ass pants and form fitting shirt. Her cleavage is practically popping to come out of her top. I’m sure Caleb is loving every minute of it. Not on my watch. Luckily I’m already wearing my black t-shirt and a pair of jersey pants.
After setting the system to run on auto and opening the app on my phone that allows me to check all the cameras, I take off after them. They hadn’t made it very far when I find them, they were barely at a jogging pace a block away.
“Well fancy meeting you guys out here, it’s a beautiful day for a jog don’t you think?” I say to them.
“What are you doing McGuire?” Caleb asks, sounding a little annoyed.
“Just getting a little exercise boss, no worries.” I reply.
Nobody stops jogging. Chloe won’t look at me.
“Oh I’m worried alright. Worried about you, is this some desperate attempt to win Chloe over? That’s a little pathetic on your part don’t you think?” He says, giving me a slightly angry glare.
“Ha! That’s funny, I was just thinking how pathetic it is to go after someone by using your status.” I counter.
“Ugh! Will both of you stop it already, this isn’t some stupid pissing contest. Now I am out here to run, if you both want to run with me then just shut up already.” Chloe shouts at us. She’s so damn adorable. The rest of our run is in silence, I steal a glance every once in a while at her perfect form as she jogs beside me. The way her pony tail whips around her face, the way her lips pucker slightly as she breathes out. God I miss this woman.
When we arrive back at Retribution, Caleb beats me to the door and opens it for her. She smiles at him, he hangs back as she enters, “I’ll be right there Chloe.” He says to her and lets the door shut behind her. He’s facing me now. I fold my arms across my chest and glare at him.
“You got something you want to say to me?” I ask.
“What are you doing?” he asks, mimicking my stance. Caleb isn’t a big guy, he’s a few inches shorter than me. Blonde hair parted to one side like some boy band wannabe. He’s lean not as muscular as myself. I’m not worried.
“I could ask you the same thing boss,” I reply. “Since when do you jog during the middle of your work day?”
“Take the hint, she’s done with you…move on.” He tells me as he grits his teeth.
“Not happenin. Anything else?”
He doesn’t respond instead he heads back inside. I laugh and return to my desk. Scanning the system I see that Chloe is already changed and back behind her desk. Something is going on and I’m going to get to the bottom of it.
Chloe
To say Travis showing up on my jog was a shock would be an understatement. Caleb didn’t seem too happy to see him, which I didn’t understand; I had thought they were friends. I’m so confused. I’m still upset at the way Travis had accused me of trying to sleep my way to the top; ridiculous. Caleb returned a few minutes after I did but he didn’t say a word to me when he walked in; just straight to his office and slammed the door.
A few minutes later a chat box popped up, I assumed it was from Caleb but instead my eyes were fixated on the screen in horror.
You can run but you can’t hide.
Oh my God, he’s here…he can’t be here. If it wasn’t for my erratic breathing I could have sworn my heart had stopped. When my phone rang I practically jumped out of my chair.
“Ca-Caleb Jones’ office…Um Chl-Chloe speaking,” I stuttered.
“What’s wrong Chloe, I saw the look of panic on your face. What happened? Are you ok?” Travis’s worried voice asks.
“Oh my god Travis he’s here, I don’t know how but he’s here…he sent me a message on my computer,” I sob, frantically looking around.
“It’s okay Chlo, you’re safe here okay. I can see you, I’m going to take over your computer screen for a second and see if I can run some code to trace the signal okay?”
“Don’t leave me,” I plead.
“Not a chance blue eyes, just bear with me a second okay,”
I smile at his response. Even though I’m terrified knowing that Travis is in the building brings me a small amount of comfort.
After a few minutes of silence Travis finally speaks, his voice sounds frightened now which puts me on edge even more. “
Chloe, I want you to listen to me very carefully okay? I want you to get out your cell phone and dial my number. Then I want you to hang up this phone and get on the elevator. I will meet you in the lobby. Do you understand me?”
“What? Why, can’t you just come and get me. I’m scared Travis.”
“I know you are darlin, just trust me okay,” he pleads.
“Did you find the signal? Do you know where he is?”
“Just please Chloe, do what I asked. Don’t say anything to anyone, just do it now.”
He says, his voice sounding more demanding.
“Okay, okay.”
I pull out my cellphone and dial his cell phone, he doesn’t say anything when he answers. I quietly put the desk phone down and creep to the elevator door. I had almost made it when I heard a door open behind me.
“Going somewhere sweetheart?” Caleb says behind me.
“Run! Chloe now!” Travis’s voice shouts in my ear.
I don’t think, I just turn toward the staircase and run as fast as I can. I don’t even know why I’m running but I trust Travis. Once I’m in the stairwell and already down two flights of stairs I hear footsteps coming behind me.
“You can run but you can’t hide Chloe,” Caleb shouts from above me.
“I’m already on my way up to you, just don’t stop okay?” Travis soothes.
“Why am I running from Caleb, Travis?” I ask.
“The chat originated from his login, from his personal computer.”
I suddenly felt sick. Why would he do something like that? I was approaching the 4
th
floor when I could feel him getting closer. Out of panic I pushed open the doors to the 4
th
floor and started looking for somewhere to hide.
“
Travis, I’m on the 4
th
floor. I’ve never been here before where do I go?” I ask feeling panicked.
“Shit, Chloe why did you get out of the stairs, I’m a floor below you. Just keep quiet and find a room to lock yourself in. I’ll find you.”
I find an empty conference room and seal the door behind me. There are three windows spread out on the back wall. A huge conference table in the center and a cabinet to my right. I climb inside the cabinet and shut myself inside, trying to calm my breathing. I can hear footsteps outside but they sound far away.
“Come out come out wherever you are,” Caleb laughs. Someone must have triggered the fire alarm, suddenly it blares to life and red lights flash in all the rooms. I hear him swear. Travis, I think to myself suddenly remembering he’s on the phone with me. He hasn’t said a word but I have the phone muted. I can’t see anything, it’s dark in here. With the siren going off I can’t hear much of anything either.
So I’m completely caught off guard when the cabinet door jerks open and I am face to face with Caleb. He smiling sickly at me, it makes me nauseous. Reaching up he grabs the phone from my hand and steps on it.
“Well well well, look what we have here,” he says.
“What do you want from me Caleb, why are you doing this?”
He grabs my pony tail and pulls me from the safety of the cabinet, throwing me into the conference table. Pain radiates up my spine.
“You really haven’t figured it out yet have you, you always were so naïve.” He smirks.
My eyes go wide, “Cole?” no it can’t be. He looks nothing like him. Well except those eyes…no, no…this can’t be happening.
He claps, “Bravo. It’s fascinating what some money and a lot of facial reconstruction can do.”
“Why? I mean why go through all this, you were the one that hurt me,” I sob.
“Are you kidding me? I lost my career, my respect, my family, and my freedom. You took all that from me, Chloe. And now…now I’m going to take what I wanted all those years ago, I’m going to make you wish you were dead. But I’m not going to kill you, no Chloe that would be too easy. You won’t be joining your father or your friend that would be too nice of me. No, I’ll turn you into a vegetable, make you live out the rest of your miserable existence in pain.”
I tried to scurry my way down the table toward the door but he stopped my escape plan. He latched onto my arm and slammed me back down on the table. My legs kicked out at him but had no effect.
“I have to admit my plan took a lot of time and patience on my part. But you have to admit it went perfectly. You had no idea and you were even starting to like me. It worked out beautifully.”
He is positioned between my legs, forcing both of my hands over my head with one of his. I feel bile rise up in my throat but I force it back down. Closing my eyes I pray someone would find me, that Travis would find me. A slap came down hard across my face, forcing my eyes to open.
“That’s right you bitch, you keep those beautiful blue eyes open for me, I want you to see everything I’m about to do to you.” He spat.
His free hand is now up my skirt, my body struggles beneath him, trying with all its will to find a way out. He shoves my dress up so that my lower body is now exposed, my pale pink panties are now visible. My skin stings as he rips them from my body. Tears begin to stream down my face. I can’t hear the sirens anymore, my body starts to numb.
When he inserts his finger roughly inside me I cry out in pain. His finger jams in and out making me sore. It’s not like when Travis did it, it makes me nauseous and it hurts like hell. A small amount of relief fills me when he stops but it’s immediately replaced with fear once his hand goes to the zipper of his pants. I shut my eyes tightly and try to take my mind somewhere else. Anywhere else. I picture Travis’s calming green eyes, the way his smile warms me. I try to picture his hands instead but I know the rough, forceful hands are not his soft and loving ones.
I brace myself for the penetration but it never comes, instead my hands are released. Peeking my eyes open I see Travis slam Cole into the wall. His fists pounding into his face. Cole’s arms are up and he’s attempting to block the assault, his pants are around his ankles. I feel the bile again this time I can’t keep it down, instead it spews onto the floor near my feet. When I look up again, Cole has Travis pinned against the back wall, he’s struggling to pull something from his jacket pocket. I see a shimmer of something in his hand. I don’t think, I force myself up and start searching for something, anything and then I see it. A fire extinguisher, prying it from the wall I charge at Cole and slam it hard into the back of his head. He stumbles backwards toward the window. I collapse to the floor, my body feeling the exhaustion; blood trickling down my legs, when I glance up I see Travis charging toward Cole. The next thing I hear is glass shattering, I look up in time to see Cole forced out the window. Strong arms envelope me. And then I see darkness and I welcome it.
I wake up to a faint beeping sound and realize I’m in the hospital again. Looking around I spot Travis curled up in the chair next to me. Reaching out I place my hand gently over his and squeeze. When his eyes open and that warm smile stretches across his face, I feel at peace. He sits up and leans closer to me, planting a soft kiss to my forehead.
“Hello blue eyes,” he says softly, his forehead is against mine.
I breathe in the scent of him, “Hi.”
“You scared me,” he exhales. His hands cup my face so that our eyes meet.
“Is he…is he gone?” I ask.
Travis nods, “He won’t ever hurt you again,” he states and I believe him.
“He killed them…my dad and Mac…he told me.” I sob.
“Ah darlin, I’m so sorry.” He says and then his lips softly touch mine.
Travis climbs onto my bed and holds me in his arms. It’s the safest I’ve felt in a long time. I don’t bother asking him any questions, I just want to enjoy the moment, enjoy the peace. I can finally breathe again and not feel afraid, it’s liberating.