Cole (The Leaves) (2 page)

I decided to sit in the living room and wait. I opened a beer and sat across from the painting I bought of hers. She named it ‘The Seaside’ and it tells our story. I’ll never forget the day I sang to her when she had a full blown anxiety attack at work. I’d gone back to the place where she bartended to apologize for being a dick, and for the simple reason that I could not get her out of my head, no matter how hard I tried. This little trip down memory lane was great and all, but it was starting to get dark, and now I was halfway between pissed off and worried that she was alone, without her purse or her phone. She could’ve grabbed some cash, but I doubted it.

“Aimes?”

“Cole?” She mused, but her voice changed suddenly. “Wait, is she still gone?” I was hoping she was there, with her best friend.

“I’m actually starting to get worried.” I hated to admit that. And mostly, if I was completely honest with myself, it was because Aimes was engaged to Gus. Gus was a former Marine who’d served in Iraq. He’s a man’s man. The kind of guy who just had that presence that would scare the fuck out of you and make you walk the opposite direction, rather than face whatever consequence he might carry out. I was tall and broad, but definitely leaner.

Basically, I didn’t want to look like a fuckin’ pussy in front of Gus, the former Marine.

“Listen, I’m sure she’s fine. She’s used to being independent and believe me, she can handle herself. She’s probably just trying to get her head around the idea of being Mrs. Cole Carlyle.”

“Well, I don’t care if she keeps her name, I care that she’s out at night without her phone and purse and you haven’t heard from her.” I decided to just embrace my inner bad-ass and focus on the fact that she was out there… not that I was afraid she was running away from an overbearing man who proposed after knowing her for only a few months.

“Call us back in half –”

“Hang on, there’s another call Aimes. It’s probably her.”

“Go easy on her Cole. You know, baby steps and all.” She said softly.

“I’ll call you back, Aimes. Thanks.” I touched the screen and lifted the phone back to my ear.

“Anika, I am going to kill you when you get back here. Then I’m gonna give you orgasms all night long until you beg me to stop…”

“Mr. Carlyle.”

My heart stopped beating.

“Y-yes?”

“You will do as I ask. If you do not do as I ask, I will have no choice but to kill your sweet little piece of ass, but not before I fuck her like I fucked her for years. You will transfer the ownership of your hotels back to the original bidders, before your father played dirty with other people’s lives. Then you will speak to my uncle, explain that I have restored the company to the family, so Serena and I can finally be together. Then, I will take my Serena and go. Do you understand me? Transfer Trinity and give me Serena.”

“Yes. Let me talk to her. Let me hear her voice.” I asked as calmly as possible.

“Ah, no no no. You’ve done plenty of talking with my sweet Annie here. What a happy coincidence for me that she happened to drop right back into my life and also into that of you and your
disgrazia
father. What is that saying… two birds, one stone?”

“Let me know she’s alive.” I could barely keep the fury rising up from choking me. “Let me just hear her. Let me tell her I’m going to help her. I need to tell her. Please. I’ll do and give you anything. Please.” I seethed through clenched teeth, desperate to hear her voice.

“You’re wasting my time, Mr. Carlyle, and hers with your begging. You look outside your front gate; you will see a small brown box.”

I ran to the gate and looked around. “Have you found it?” The man asked.

I spotted it in the street and ran to grab it. The wind must’ve blown it away. “I have it.”

“You look inside now.” I could hear the smile in his voice. Not one of mirth, this was sinister. It was evil.

Oh fuck. I’d heard stories like this. I’d watched documentaries and I knew shit like this happened, but not to me. Not to her.
Never
to her. I couldn’t look inside or I would lose it completely. “Please don’t hurt her.” I said evenly. “I can make arrangements for cash, anything, just bring her here, now.”

“I do not negotiate, Mr. Carlyle. Two things: transfer the company and my uncle will let me have Serena back. Those are my terms.”

I could hear her, just barely in the background. “I can hear her, please let me talk to her.”

“I will give you ten seconds. Then you will hear nothing until the transfer of ownership is complete. It goes back to the family. No questions asked and I spare her life. I have watched you deny your father for years, Mr. Carlyle, but I am not convinced. I hope you make the right choice and chose her life over money. You have until nine-thirty tomorrow morning. The contents of that box are just the beginning. I would prefer not to hurt her unless you force me to.” The phone muffled, “I’m going to time it now my
dolce
, say what you need to… could be the last time.”

“Cole?” She said. Her voice was shaking, I knew she was crying. “Yes. No matter what happens. That’s my answer. If something goes wrong, I love you, forever baby. Forever.” She cried.

“Forever. I will Anika. I promise I’ll keep you safe.” My voice was fierce and strong. I didn’t want her to think I would fail, even if I didn’t believe it myself.

The line went dead. I wasn’t even sure what to do first, but I knew I had to call my father.

Anika

How could a day that was turning out to be the best of my life, go so horribly wrong.

Joe had untied me not long after he’d… oh my God. How was I here? What did I do to deserve this? My ankles were still bound with zip ties to the frame of the bed, which was a small blessing. My blood was being soaked up by the sheets. I was pretty sure the bleeding had stopped now, but I couldn’t bring myself to look at my injuries.

I lay there, contemplating my future. I began with the here and now, which took me to an outcome that was the opposite of good.

Since that wasn’t productive, I decided to focus on my future with Cole. I said yes. He’d proposed… a proposal which kicked my ex’s, Evan, right out of the ball-park of marriage proposals.

In the weeks that Cole and I had officially been a couple, we had covered an enormous amount of ground. We made a deal: don’t hold anything back. Whatever needed to be said was said. From pet-peeves to sexual preferences, we left no stone unturned. He knew I’d been repeatedly molested by none other than the man who was my current abductor. He also knew that my mother was not only aware of what was done to me by her then boyfriend, but encouraged him to defile me in a number of other disgusting ways. Cole admitted he was concerned that one day he might try something with me, something sexual in the heat of a moment filled with passion that would trigger something ugly that Joe and my mother did. Although he didn’t completely believe me (or he thought I was in denial) I had managed not to allow any of that to sully what I might share with a lover. My mother and Joe may have stolen my childhood and my innocence, but that was where it ended for me. There were a couple of exceptions, but even then, nothing sexual had ever triggered an anxiety attack for me.

Singing was different.

When I was a little girl and after my dad walked out on us, my mom changed. Almost instantly, she became mean. It started with a slap here and there and she never apologized. It was as if she got worse every day that passed. Most afternoons, she would start drinking as soon as we got home from school. She would pick me up a half hour after the other kids, but I was allowed to stay in the principal’s office and wait. One day she came in and greeted the familiar women, and said, “Come on sweetie, let’s go get ice cream.” She led me to the hall outside the door and said in a dark whisper, “Don’t fucking move.” Her demeanor changed again and as she went back into the office and said to the women there, “Has she seemed okay to you?” This was directed toward the principal, a woman she’d known for years.

“Well, Marla, she’s been very quiet. Mrs. Tully has expressed a concern regarding Anika.” Mrs. Tully was my teacher. She had huge breasts and always had bright pink lipstick that smudged to the corners of her mouth. She was also really nice to me.

“I was afraid of that…” my mother said concerned. “Since her father left, she’s been getting worse. She… we…” then she broke into small sobs and I could hear the women move to comfort her.

“Oh, Marla. Have you heard from him?” My principal, Mrs. Avery asked.

“He said he couldn’t do it anymore. He said he told me he didn’t want kids, but when I found out I was pregnant… I just couldn’t… she’s so sweet, I thought it would be okay…”

“Men are assholes.” This was said by Mrs. Weizenhunt. She was at least one hundred years old and she had said a bad word.

I listened in shock and wasn’t sure what had surprised me more. The fact my dad left because he never wanted me in the first place. That my mom had just turned into a different person, or that Mrs. Weisenhunt had said a bad word

“You tell us what you need, Marla. We’ll look out for her. You’ll get through this.” Mrs. Avery told her.

“Thanks, gals. I better go. I promised my baby girl ice cream.” She said tugging on every heart string in the room.

She came to the hallway and took my hand, knowing all eyes were watching her walk away with me. Then in a voice only I could hear she told me, “You better get smart and quick, little girl.” I was confused, but she was my mom so I did exactly what she told me and studied like crazy.

That month I made the honor role at school. My grades had always been good, but we had just taken some big test. All the kids had to take it and my score was the highest in the school; even higher than the older kids.

There was going to be an award given to me at the school assembly, so I gave the letter to my mom, letting her know I did what she told me to: I got smart. Apparently, that wasn’t what she meant. That’s when the real beatings began.

Mom didn’t come to the assembly, but when Mrs. Avery handed me my award with a huge gold foil sticker on it, she held me back by my shoulder so the vice principal could take our picture. Unfortunately, her thumb pressed into the tender wound on my back and my knees buckled. I recovered, terrified that she’d ask me what was wrong, but she gently helped me stand up for the photo. The assembly had been in the morning and I worried all the way until lunchtime recess that I would be called to her office.

When the lunch period ended, Mrs. Avery appeared by my side and asked me to come with her to her office. I was crying before she closed the door.

“Anika, what happened today in the auditorium?”

“My knees went funny.” She pursed her lips and went to the office door. She closed a set of drab tan blinds on her door followed by an identical set at the small window.

“Turn around and lift up your shirt.” She ordered. I hesitated for a million reasons, but in the end, doing what a grown-up and an authority figure told me, won out. I lifted my shirt as fresh tears of pain hit my cheeks and heard her inhale. “Put your shirt down and have a seat, Anika.”

I sat down and hung my head.

“Who did that to you?”

I shook my head.

“Ms. Redding, I asked you a question. Now, who did that to do?”

I looked at her and summoned strength from God knows where and told her the truth. “Mommy.”

“You’re lying.” She stated.

“I’m not allowed to lie, Mrs. Avery.” I cried.

“No one likes a liar, Anika, and do not talk back to me. Your mother has been a highly respected teacher in this school district for ten years. She has a wonderful reputation as an educator and is highly committed to the well-being of children. You have a sitter, don’t you? She mentioned a girl who lives down the street from you?”

I just sat there and listened to her talk. My mother had given herself an alibi.

“Your mother has had a terrible time lately, Anika. I am so disappointed that you would look me in the face and lie. I’m tempted to take away the award, but I don’t want to add to your poor mother’s worries. No more lies, Anika. I will have a word with your mother about that girl. You may return to class.”

“Please!” I begged. “Please don’t tell her!”

“She is your mother and she must be made aware of this. That will be all Anika.”

I opened my eyes again and saw Joe approach the bed. “How are you feeling, Annie?” He smiled that evil smile at me.

“Why?” I asked.

“Why do I ask?” He queried.

“Why me?”

“I want what belongs to my family and your
findanzante
stole.”

“I don’t understand… why me, when I was little, and now… why?” I asked again.

He cupped his hand around my jaw, a gesture that should have been tender, but instead repulsed me. “Your mother, she was easy….a sweet, tight cunt. I gave her money, I gave her drink, and she let me have you. Easy.”

I closed my eyes tight. I assumed he was going to have his way with me. I also assumed I was going to die. I had no doubt Cole would do everything possible to save me. He would move, not just mountains, but continents to save me. He already had. He had healed wounds that had laid dormant in me for so long, I had coasted through life thinking they could never touch me again.

I was wrong.

“Serena?” I asked. I remembered sometimes he would call me that.

“She is my cousin, but we were in love. My uncle, he did not understand. I brought Trinity Hotels to greatness, Anika. But then the vineyard, it began to fail. My uncle sent me to Italy, to Sicily, to strengthen our business ties for the vineyard. I never stopped loving my Serena. Never. When I came back to the U.S. she was gone. I had to continue to build the family business, the hotels and the vineyards, so I could secure a future with my love. But a man has needs, Serena knows this. I met your mother, a woman who would spread her legs and give me her daughter,
perfecto
! You kept me in good company until the day you left, didn’t you Annie?”