Authors: Regina Bartley
Eighteen- Mine
I found Sketch moping in his bedroom, which I knew he would be. He didn’t like the plan, but he had to know it was the best route to take. It was best for everyone. What’s a little pain when it comes to getting what we want in the end?
Letting the door close softly behind me, I waited for him to speak. There was so much anger built up inside him. I could see it all over his face. He was worried, and he had every right to be. He’d seen first hand the kind of man Max was, what he was capable of. Hell, the man probably scared himself when he looked in the mirror. If the devil were in disguise, he’d look exactly like Max.
Sketch backed himself up against the wall in his bedroom still remaining quiet. I watched every move he made. The man was huge. He had the strength and courage of a lion, but I was blessed to see the other side of him, the softer side. Just staring at him, I knew that I’d made the right decision.
For the first time ever, I’d given away my heart.
It was real.
I didn’t care if he didn’t feel the same. My feelings felt like enough for the both of us, and I wasn’t willing to let someone else die trying to protect me.
It was out of the question.
“I’m so mad at you right now. So pissed,” he said.
“I know, and I’m sorry. I’m not willing to let anyone else I care about die, and it’s not up for discussion.”
He took three wide strides to me, “You’re so stubborn,” he said.
I was about to argue, when he pressed his lips hard against mine. He devoured me, and I melted under his touch.
I had never had anything to compare Max to until now. It made me feel like such an idiot. How could I have believed that I loved him? It wasn’t love. It couldn’t have been. No one had ever made me feel the way Sketch did. It probably wasn’t love either, but it felt like the closest thing I’d ever had.
Both of his hands rested firmly on my cheeks. The way his large body surrounded me, was the sexiest feeling in the world. I would never get tired of it, or him.
“I just got you here.” He spoke breathlessly as he rested his head against mine.
“You have to quit doing that.” My mouth sort of vomited up the words before I thought about what I’d said.
“Quit doing what?”
“All these feelings.” I was already in headfirst, may as well drown myself completely. “You’re hot then you’re cold. You’re happy then you’re crabby. My emotions are all over the place, and I honestly don’t know how you’re feeling. I mean I know you’re upset about my decision, but what are we doing here. I know how I feel about you. I guess what I’m asking, is how you feel about me?” The words came out so fast that I didn’t know if he’d heard me.
His frown slowly turned into a wide smile, and before I knew it he was laughing.
“I’m glad you find this so amusing.”
“Stop it with the mean face.” He pointed to my eyebrows. “That’s not why I was laughing. Come here.”
I sat down on the bed beside him.
“I’m laughing because I always knew that as soon as you felt like you weren’t scared that you’d come out of your shell. I was right. I’ve never heard you talk so much.” He laughed again and I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. I would never have been able to do that if I were with Max. He would’ve knocked my teeth out. I guess it was kind of funny, but not that funny.
“The first time I saw you, I mean since you’ve been gone, I knew I was in trouble.”
“How do you mean?” I asked.
“You stood behind that desk, and I kept thinking –Wow, she’s grown up.” He smiled. I wanted to know you, but I didn’t want you to know me. My flaws I mean. When you pulled out those nails I thought maybe you were just as fucked up as me. I know that’s bad to say, but it felt like we had some sort of crazy connection. It’s weird I know.”
“Not weird,” I admitted.
“I’ve had one goal my whole life, and that was to kill Max. Then you just fell into my world.” He brushed a piece of hair away from my face. “I didn’t need the complication. In fact it pissed me off, because I couldn’t keep myself in check. But the moment that broke me was when I hit you. I’ll never forget that look on your face. I won’t ever forgive myself. You have to know how sorry I am. Know that no matter what, I’ll never hit you again.”
“I know.” Well I didn’t actually know, but after hearing his confession, and seeing how sincere he was, I had no doubt. “It’s okay, I promise. I was used to that Sketch.” I didn’t actually say that it was worse when he hit me. No need to add extra nails to that coffin.
“Please don’t call me Sketch anymore.”
“No more Sketch and Shay. We are now Cam and Sadie.” I said.
“That sounds amazing.”
“I agree.” I smiled up at him.
“I know that I’ve given you the run around about my feelings for you, and the truth is, it’s because I don’t really know what they are.”
I had a feeling this was going to hurt.
“I like you. I’ve just never been serious with anyone, but it’s because no has ever made me feel like this.”
I sucked in a deep breath.
“I can’t stop thinking about you. I want to protect you, and I want to see you smile. I don’t ever want anyone to touch you, but me. So I guess what I’m trying to say is that I want you to be mine, and only mine.”
I giggled like a ten year old. His smile was so big that it was almost scary.
Easy there big guy
“It’s funny that you say I talk a lot. You’re trap hasn’t shut once.”
He narrowed his eyes at me.
“Ahhh, Cam, stop.” He tickled me until I fell back on to the bed. The playful side of him was so different. I could picture myself right there in his bed forever. It was scary, the thought of forever without Max.
Cam kissed my lips, and then stared longingly into my eyes.
“Say you’re mine Sadie,” his deep voice was like silk on my skin. It made me think about the first time I’d heard his voice, and how every time, it felt like the first time.
“I’ll be yours.”
That was all it took. Those three little words, and he couldn’t keep his hands off me.
He spent the next two hours making sure that I knew that I was his.
I was gone, or I should probably say that my heart was gone. No one else would ever own me again.
Over and over in my head, I kept telling myself that it was all worth it. Every beating, every scar, and every horrible memory was all worth it that moment he said, “I want you to be mine.” He set me free, and then stole my heart, and I was about to throw myself back into the line of fire for him.
I wouldn’t change a thing.
Nineteen- Back to Hell
The day went by so fast. It was selfish of me, but I wanted to spend so many more hours naked in the bed with Cam. But we both knew that it was time for me to go.
“I want you to take a gun.” He said. That protective vibe was back full force, and though it was cute it annoyed me. He’d seen Max; he knew what kind of evil genius he was. I’d never been protected.
Ever.
And there was no use trying to start now.
What Max wanted, Max got.
“There is no way I can carry a gun. I want to, but he’ll find it. You know the first thing that he’ll want me to do is strip down. He’ll want to see for himself that I wasn’t hurt.”
“I fucking don’t need a visual.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“Be fast Sadie, do what you have to do so that I can come in and kill that fucker.”
“I will.”
“I’m serious. Forty eight hours is all I’m giving you.”
“Okay, I get it.” I wanted to say that I didn’t want to be there anymore than he wanted me to be there, but I knew that if I said it he’d make me stay. I couldn’t stay.
He wrote his cell number down on a small piece of paper, and told me to store it in my phone as soon as I got to it. I recited the number a hundred times in my head, so that I could toss it before I got there.
In Bram’s office we went back over the plan a couple of times. I knew I was ready. It wasn’t a foolproof plan, but it was all we had.
/
It was just after dark, and we were parked within walking distance of Max’s house. I had a tingling sensation in my hands, and I knew I had the nerves to thank for it. Max had to believe the story that I was about to feed him; otherwise the entire plan would be shot to hell. No one could afford for me to make any mistakes.
“Text me the minute that you can. Please be careful.” Cam rubbed my knee gently.
“I will.” I leaned across the console in the car to kiss him once more. I didn’t linger because it only made it worse.
“Rip my shirt.” I said, and his eyes grew big. “Just do it.”
He reached for the collar of my shirt and ripped it in one swift jerk.
I winked at him, and opened the door. I wrapped my nail bag tightly around my arm.
“See you soon.”
“Promise,” he said.
If I didn’t get out of that car, then I knew at any second he was going to pull off, taking us both away. I could see it all over his face.
“I promise.” I shut the door, and never looked back.
With each step I took toward the house my stomach flipped. The whole situation was fucked up. I could feel the panic creeping into my body. My heart was racing. The only thing I could do, was use it to my advantage.
The gate was just ahead and I could see the guard. He hadn’t seen me yet, so I stopped only for a second so that I could take a deep breathe.
My footsteps kicked up the rocks beneath my shoes, and when he spotted me I thought he might try to kill me. I wasn’t sure.
“Help me.” I coughed in his direction.
“Shay, is that you?” The man said.
“Yes, please help me.” I stooped over as if I were hurt. Instantly, the tears sprang free, and as much as I wanted to credit my amazing acting skills, I couldn’t. The emotional roller coaster had just taken a nosedive to the ground and I couldn’t control myself.
He was immediately on his cell. I was sure that he was calling Max. I felt his hand touch my back.
“Hold on, Max is on his way.”
My hands rested on my knees, as I stayed bent over. Seeing Max again after everything that had happened was going to fuck me up. We had history, a long fucking history.
I stared at the driveway below me, trying to keep a hold on reality, but then I heard him call my name.
“Shay,” he said.
That was it. I felt it all the way to my bones, and I broke down. I was a sobbing wreck.
“My God, Shay. Are you okay?” He asked and I couldn’t even look at him. “I’ve got you love.” He lifted me up in his arms and held me so tight against him. My head tucked tightly into his neck and I cried. Immediately I felt like a guilty fucking whore. Even worse was that I felt like I was betraying my parents and Cam, and fucking everybody.
“I’ll kill them.” He said. “I’ll fucking kill them all.”
Of course, that made me cry harder.
QUIT BEING SO NICE!
I thought.
I had no idea where he was taking me. I never looked up. His hands were familiar against my skin, too familiar.
He lowered my body down on to a bed, and it was the first time I’d taken a glimpse of my surroundings. I was back inside his bedroom, a place I hadn’t been since he proposed.
My eyes followed their way up his body, finally landing on his eyes. My body shivered under his deep gaze. It was the worst that I’d ever seen him look. As if he’d aged ten years over night.
“I’ve been so worried about you? Did they hurt you?”
I shook my head no. The only person that had truly hurt me was Max. I had to keep telling myself that, otherwise I’d never get through this. It’s so hard throwing away what you’ve believed for the past fourteen years. That was practically my whole life. I knew that the bad outweighed the good by a far margin, but those eyes and that face made it hard for me. It made me remember that once upon a time we shared something. Whether it good or bad, there was history, and it wasn’t just something I could forget.
“I have to see for myself.” He said.
The tears rolled out from the corner of my eyes.
With the most gentle of touches, he slid my pants down my legs. His gentleness was a mind fuck in the worst way. It would have been much easier if he had just hit me.
He didn’t stop until every inch of my clothing was off. His hand trailed lightly over my skin, as he searched my body. He wouldn’t find anything, but I had to let him see for himself.
His head dropped onto my stomach and he sat like that for a long time. I wasn’t sure what he was doing, so I didn’t move. All at once I felt his body shaking. I knew what he was doing. He was crying.
Truthfully, for the longest time I’d thought that he was losing it, but it was for real. There had to be some kind of medical explanation for it. He was broken. Maybe it was his conscience finally catching up to him, or maybe he was literally losing his mind. It hit me right in the heart.
As easily as I could, I reached out and touched his head. I petted him like I would a sad child. We sat like that for so long.
When he looked at me, I finally felt like I had him in the most vulnerable state that he’d ever been in. It was now or never if I was going to get any information out of him.
“Why did they do it Max? Why did they take me? I never did anything to them?”
He stalled for a minute, and I thought for sure that he would lie to me.
“To get back at me. That’s why they did it. Bram has always been out for me.”
“But why?”
“I killed his wife.”
He stared blankly off into space.
There was no mention of my parents or my dad’s involvement.
“She was married to me, many years ago.” He said and I showed no emotion, even though it was a bit of a shock. “She was my wife long before she was his.”
“Why’d you kill her?” I asked but I shifted in my seat hoping I wouldn’t scratch a surface that was going to piss him off.
“She did me wrong. She jeopardized my career. But mostly it was for revenge.” His jaw was clenched tight.
The word revenge rolling off his tongue was like poison. It was years and years of fighting for business and revenge.
“Why do they want me?”
“Just the same. You’re mine, and he wants revenge.”
Lies, all fucking lies.
Maybe he doesn’t realize that it was all lies, but they didn’t want me for revenge. They would just rather have Max’s head on a silver platter.
I needed to find a way to text Cam to let him know what the hell was going on, but it wasn’t happening tonight.
A couple of people called Max’s phone, but he refused to answer. I thought he would surely want to have sex with me, but it was never brought up. From the look of him, he’d probably not slept since I’d been away which was at least forty-eight hours ago.
He curled up next to my naked body under the sheet, and held me close. After about fifteen minutes he finally drifted off to sleep. I didn’t move for a while, because I was afraid to wake him.
When I could finally slip out from under his heavy arm, I did. I was as quiet as I could be. I figured that if he found me that I could just tell him I needed something from my room.
I slid on his robe, and slipped quietly out of the door.
There was a guard standing outside of the door, and I quickly lifted my finger to my mouth, hushing him. He nodded, and instead of following me, he stayed there by Max’s door. Obviously Max hadn’t had a chance to give them any other orders since he wasn’t expecting my return.
Tiptoeing down the hall, I made my way to the kitchen. I needed the maid in a bad way.
When I didn’t find her there, I decided I would just pay a visit to her room.
I tapped my finger on her closed door. I looked over my shoulder several times, hoping that no one was following me. I tapped again, praying she would answer.
Just as I was about to walk away the door opened. She stood there in her nightgown and her eyes were about to jump out of her head. She was not expecting me, and it was evident that she had no idea that I was back. There was so much worry on her face. I pointed inside of her room, and she let me in.
At most, I probably had five minutes to tell her everything, and get the hell out of there.
She never said a word while I explained what I needed. She was going to have to defy Max, but she didn’t seem to mind. The only thing I worried about was when she said, “he’s really sick isn’t he.”
All I could do was shake my head. I couldn’t dwell on it.
He was sick, and severely twisted. His sanity was gone.
The only thing that I could compare it to was like a rabid dog. One that started off okay, but who occasionally did bad things. Then one day that dog just lost it, and killed everything in it’s path. Those situations were out of everyone’s control and the best thing for every person involved was to put the dog to sleep.
Max needed to be put down, or else his path of destruction would be too large to clean up.
I explained to her that she only had one task. She needed to get inside the control room and spill something into the computer system or cut the wires or something. The camera’s had to be shut off and it was going to happen soon. Not tomorrow, but the night after that. It was going down.
I knew that he wouldn’t be quick to let me out of his sight. I could keep him occupied.
When I left her room, I went straight to mine. I had to text Cam.
I passed two guys on the way there, but none of them stopped me. There were a few glares, but nobody said anything. This had to be fast before they went to Max.
I found my phone where I had left it in the bedside table.
Me: I’m fine. The plan is still a go. Not tomorrow night but the next.
Cam: Did you talk to the maid?
“Well, well, well, what do we have here?”
The phone dropped from my hands and landed hard against the floor.
Motherfucker, “Trick.”