Her Soldier (That Girl #3) (8 page)

Looking into the small living area, everything appears to be in place. I see a stack of boxes of Ikea shelves I’ve never put together, and the half built desk I gave up on. Peering to the left, I notice the pile of dirty dishes and lines of clothes going in every direction. My phone alerts me to a text message, and I pull it from my pocket.

Beau: Wish me luck.

Me: Luck, lover boy.

The simple act of reading his name puts me at ease, and I chalk up the unlocked door to my spacey nature. Even though it’s unlikely, I comfort myself a bit by deciding it was probably just me in a hurry. I cringe at my surroundings. The state of my living room would put Beau into a full-on heart attack. It embarrasses me to know I’m so used to living in such a mess. I never recognized it before, but coming from Beau’s tidy and extremely organized apartment makes me realize I’m a fucking slob. I mean, I know Aunt Danielle’s house is always immaculate, but I chalked it up to being an old lady thing.

It only takes a few minutes of wandering through my apartment for me to realize I don’t want to be here or be the person who used to live here. I want more for my life. Making my way into my bedroom, I stop cold at the sight before me. All of my drawers have been pulled from the dresser and clothes are strewn everywhere. On my mirror are the words:

I’ll kill you, you little whore!

I scream, then start to hyperventilate. Maxton has been here, and it I feel instantly sick. Phantom pains shoot through my side, and I hear his voice screaming at me. I scramble to the ground and pick up my clothes and stuff them back into drawers as fast as possible. Running to the kitchen, I grab a towel and Windex and scrub away the nasty words. I fight to make my room as normal as possible and rid every trace of Maxton from it.

Everything inside me wants to call Beau and force him to come get me. I know it wouldn’t take much force, but I don’t want to ruin his job interview, since I’m the reason he quit the other one. Dropping to my knees, I begin to cry, with each tear declaring I’m tired of everything—exhausted from the cruelty life blows my way with each venture. My phone rings, and I notice Jazzy’s name flashing across the screen.

Too tired to avoid them any longer, I slide across the green icon with my finger.

“Hello.”

“Is this my Jenni girl? This is Jazzy Jazz calling yo’ ass.”

Her voice is full of enthusiasm. Her words make me smile. I always call her Jazzy Jazz. In the beginning she despised the nickname…and me, for that matter.

“We’re going to do a little shopping before tonight. Want to join?”

“Sure.”

“Meet us at Town Centre Mall in about thirty?”

“Okay, bye.”

I hang up before she has a chance to say anything else. The fact is I don’t want to stay here any longer than I have to, but I really don’t want to be out shopping either. I grab my purse and double check that I have both sets of keys. Walking over to the manager’s office, I look at my car and know exactly who brought it home.

“Hi, Al.” I step into the musty little office. Al is behind his desk, absorbed in whatever is on his computer screen.

“Hey, girl.”

Al and my Aunt Danielle went to high school together and are great friends. When I wanted to move out of Danielle’s, she said I only could if I moved into one of Al’s apartments. It made her feel better. Even though I still have a room at her house I frequent a couple times a month, it felt good to live out on my own. Until now.

“Hey, Al. Have you let someone in my apartment lately?”

“Now, kid, why would I do something like that?” Al moves from behind his computer desk and perches on the corner. It’s the only spot not covered in stacks of paper.

“Um.” I fiddle with my key ring. “Don’t tell my aunt, but I think someone might have entered my apartment. I have all the keys now, but don’t trust this person.”

“I’m on it. Your lock will be changed, kid, no worries.”

I’m relieved Al didn’t make me give him any details. I thank him and leave his office feeling more satisfied with the situation. When I near my car, I notice the red writing covering my rear view mirror, and it’s the same that filled the mirror in my room.

“That motherfucker.”

Opening the door fast, I grab a sweatshirt from the back seat and begin to wash away the words:

Die Whore!

An awful smell hits me. At first I think I’m imagining the stench, but in the next inhale of air, it hits me. My car is saturated in piss. There are visible stains covering the light grey interior.

Furiously, I dial my phone as quickly as possible and wait ring by ring. When he answers with his smug hello and slimy snicker, my stomach turns as so many emotions hit me at once, but in the end anger wins out.

“Listen here, you fucker. You better stay away from me.”

“Oh, yeah?” A loud ruckus fills the background on his end. “Or what, your new boyfriend gonna kick my ass?”

“No, he won’t. If he gets his hands on you, he’ll kill you, Maxton. Come around me or my apartment again, and you’ll regret it.”

“I don’t lie, Jenni, and I’ll make good on my promise.”

“I’m not afraid of you anymore, Maxton. Stay the fuck away from me, or I’m calling the cops.”

I hang up the phone before he can retaliate. He’s always loved to be the intimidating one, whether it be verbally or physically. I’m disgusted by the fact I let him hold me captive for so many months in that abusive relationship. He had me fooled—hell, brainwashed—so completely that I couldn’t do any better than him and actually deserved him. And to think I fought to save that relationship, arguing with Lynlee and Jazzy and even defending the motherfucker.

My gut twists, and then the scent of his piss hits me hard, and I gag. The contents of my stomach swirl around even harder, and the next gag causes me to vomit. I’m able to make it to the hedge near the sidewalk. My phone rings, and I know it was a mistake to call Maxton. It was like opening the door and inviting Satan in. Using the back of my sleeve, I wipe across my mouth and look down at my phone. Beau’s name flashes across the screen. I scramble to answer it, and I lose control, sending it to the ground. Seizing it again, I answer.

“Hello.” My voice comes out as a gurgled wail.

“Jenni.”

“Beau. Come get me. I need you. I’m so sorry.”

“Jenni.” His voice is already full of concern. “What’s going on? Are you okay?”

He fires off so many questions, and it relaxes me. It’s the sound of his voice that calms me and comforts me. I sink to the grass and sit cross-legged.

“I’m okay.” I wipe at my mouth again, gathering a few bits of vomit. “He’s been at my house.”

“Motherfucker,” Beau roars into the phone. I hear the sound of his fist crashing into his dashboard.

“He wasn’t here when I got home, though. My door was unlocked and my room was a mess.” I pause, remembering the malicious script painted on my mirror.

“And?” Beau pushes me.

“He destroyed my room and wrote on my mirror. I went to the office manager and asked to have my locks changed. Then I went to get in my car, and he wrote on that mirror as well. Then he…”

“I’m about three miles away, Jenni.”

“He pissed in my car. Everywhere, covering everything.”

Tears begin rolling down my cheeks as I say the last part. Utter humiliation strikes me. What kind of human being does that to someone? My stomach hurts again and I feel the urge to puke.

“He what?” Beau’s voice is demanding, and I’m not looking forward to seeing him in a few minutes. He’ll for sure be raging out of control. “Jenni, I’m going to kill him.”

“I called him. I was so pissed that I called him.”

A deep growl fills the other end, and immediately I regret telling him.

“Don’t you dare call him again. A sick prick like that only gets off on shit like that. What did he write on your mirror?”

I really don’t want to say this part out loud, let alone to Beau. I remain silent, hoping he won’t continue to push this topic.

“Tell me now.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

The roar of an engine fills the air, and when I look up Beau is already out of the truck marching toward me. His strong hands pull me up into a standing position while he gets right in my face.

“What did it say?”

My body begins to shake with horror. Phantom pains strike my side, and I’m brought straight back to that night.

“It said, ‘I will kill you, whore.’”

“Get in the fucking truck now.”

Settling into the truck, I notice Al standing in front of his office watching the whole scene and know it doesn’t look good from his point of view. He offers me a weak wave before walking over to the truck. Beau went into the apartment to look around.

“Girl, are you okay?”

I roll down my window and nod. “He’s just a friend and very upset about what happened in there.”

“What did happen in there? You just mentioned someone got in.”

I know Al will be on the phone with my aunt before we pull out of the parking lot, so I try to brush everything off.

“He’s overreacting. It’s just a jealous ex, and when you get the locks changed we won’t have anything to worry about.”

Al nods as he processes my words, and I know I’ve done a shitty job of selling my point. He’s not buying.

“Go on back to work and don’t worry about this.” I gesture with my hands, wanting to get rid of him before Beau comes back out.

“I saw you puking in them bushes over there.”

Fuck, I scream in my head. Not knowing how to respond, I just nod back to him with a fake smiled plastered on my face. Beau stalks from the front door in a full-on rage.

“Who the fuck are you?” he yells as he jogs over to the truck.

“Beau.” The sound of my voice even scares me. He picks up on my panic and tone and focuses in on me. “This is Al. He owns the apartments and is good friends with Aunt Danielle.”

I lay major emphasis on Danielle hoping he’ll get my point. I don’t want to worry her with this mess, but Beau doesn’t give a shit.

“Perfect, we need to talk. Follow me.” Beau gestures with his arm. Hopping from the truck, I’m quick to follow the two men back into my apartment.

Chapter 7

Beau doesn’t go into my apartment. He leads us around the back side to a window. It only takes me moments to realize we are standing at the window to my bedroom. I feel physically ill when I see the pry marks around the screen. The son of a bitch broke into my house. Part of me is relieved I’m not going crazy. I knew I had locked that door and knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I never gave Maxton a key.

“This is a problem.” Beau points to the broken windowsill.

“Unbelievable.”

“What type of security system are you running?”

Al remains mystified as he stares at the window. “We don’t.”

“Are you kidding me? It’s the fucking twenty-first century and you don’t have any type of security?”

“Well, it’s never been a problem before, and this neighborhood is quite nice.”

“Well, you have a problem now.”

Beau walks back around the front, and the two of us follow him. He marches straight into my bedroom. Remnants of the red lipstick still linger on the mirror. He throws back the comforter on the bed, revealing huge puddles of dried blood. I gasp in horror, falling to the ground and covering my chest. Beau picks me up and guides me to the bathroom, forcing me to face the mirror. Another message left behind by Maxton.

I’ll slit your throat and watch you bleed out.

I turn my head quickly, unable to look at the words any longer. He forces my chin back in the direction of the mirror.

“Do you think I’m overreacting now, Jenni?”

I understand the point he’s making, but I refuse to look. I rip from his hands and barrel my way out to his truck. Al and Beau emerge from the apartment moments later, and I watch as they exchange words. To my shock, Beau looks surprisingly calm. His hands are animated and Al soaks up everything he says. I watch as Beau returns to the truck and climbs in on the driver’s side. He roars the engine to life and drives away as if nothing ever happened.

“You know he’s going to call my aunt, right? Then shit will really hit the fan.”

“No, he won’t.”

Beau’s focus remains on the road ahead of him, and his voice is oddly calm and confident. How in the world does this man think Al won’t call Danielle? I guarantee he is already on the phone to her, and she’s dialing up the second line to the local police office.

“How can you be so damn arrogant?” A stray piece of thread from my jeans catches my attention and I twirl it as the words leave my mouth.

“I pointed out several safety violations to Al. One being your window not up to code, and also about ten other things. I told him if he didn’t want the inspectors closing down his apartments, then he’d keep his mouth shut. He agreed.”

“You blackmailed him?” My eyes are now intently staring down Beau.

“If that’s what you want to call it.” He flips on his blinker and pulls into his apartment building. “I assured him I’ll deal with Maxton.”

“Don’t, Beau.”

The truck halts abruptly and I have to use my hands to stop myself from being propelled into the dashboard.

“Don’t?” he roars in my direction. “Don’t deal with him and let him taunt you forever and eventually make good on his promises? Are you fucking serious?”

“I just don’t want…” Tears invade my words and make it hard to speak. “I just don’t want to lose you. What if he hurts you? What if you get in trouble?”

His strong hands grab me by the waist and easily propel me over next to him. I’m too ashamed to make eye contact, so I keep my eyes down toward the floorboard.

“You have no idea what I’m capable of, Jenni. There’s no need to worry about me. I promise you I won’t get caught. There’s not even a chance.”

I begin to ask what he means and then realize I don’t want to know. My phone rings, and I almost jump out of my skin. Beau reaches for it and reads the name on the screen.

“Jazzy.”

“Oh, shit.” Snatching the phone from his hands, I slide across the green icon and answer. “Hello.”

Jazzy’s voice is unmistakable and very loud. You can tell she’s in the mall with a chorus of voices and light music in the background. “Where are you? We’ve been waiting on you.”

The look on Beau’s face scares me as his pissed off look goes to an all-time high. I wasn’t supposed to leave the apartment while he was gone, and clearly I was just busted in my little scheme.

“Um, well, I kind of got sidetracked.”

“What, did you get attacked by a can of glitter or stub your toe in that shit-hole place of yours?”

“Just a sec, Jazzy.”

Using my trembling hand, I cover the speaker of the phone and whisper to Beau. “I was supposed to meet my friends at the mall, and I thought it was a good idea to get my mind off of things. Don’t be mad.”

My hand shakes so badly I’m unable to hold the phone and drop it in my lap. Beau picks it up and nods.

“Um, Jazzy, I’ll be there in fifteen. I’ll meet you guys at the food court.”

Hanging up the phone, my hands continue to tremble as my heart beats in an unsteady counterpoint.

“Jenni, what’s wrong?”

“I know I’ve pissed you off. I wasn’t supposed to go anywhere. I’ve ruined your day. I’m just…I’m just…”

His hands cover mine, and I feel them twitch beneath his warm skin.

“Jenni, stop. I’m not pissed at you. Frustrated by your actions, yes, but not pissed. This is out of your control. I just want you to be protected. That is all.” I focus in on his hands, unable to speak or look up at him. “You know that thing you keep telling me? You know that falling into something?”

I nod, knowing exactly what he is referring to. He’s trying to say “falling in love with you.”

“Well, Jenni, I’m falling, and I don’t think I’m going to be able to stop.”

His words warm my heart. I know it’s all I’ll ever get from him and don’t dare ask him to say it word for word. I can take what he gives me as long as he’s always willing to give.

“Do you want me to take you to the mall, Jenni?”

“Yes, please.” My words are spoken into his red flannel shirt as I lose myself in him. Beau drives us in silence over to the mall. A strange sense of peace washes over me during the ride. I believe in his words 100 percent. I know he will protect me from Maxton, and deep down I know he’s falling for me. I’ve already fallen head over heels for him.

His temper scares me though. What if he goes too far? What if he can’t stop and kills Maxton? Will I be able to live with that? Will I be able to let his strong hands love me and roam my skin knowing they were the same ones that have killed?

“I’ll wait out here.”

His voice snaps me from my thoughts, and I realize we are outside the food court entry to the mall. Beau has parked in the very first space right next to the door. I only have a few steps to cross the road and enter the mall. Parts of me don’t dare move and want to stay here securely in Beau’s hands, but the other part of me knows I have to live again, and living in fear doesn’t count.

“Thank you, Beau.” My lips find his.

I feel his hands reach around my back, groping my ass and pulling me to him. He deepens the kiss with a mingled sense of urgency and lust. It scares me for the simple fact if Maxton had been waiting in that apartment I’d never be experiencing this moment with Beau. I never want to live a day without feeling these lips on mine.

“Have fun, Jenni. I’ll be waiting here.”

I force myself to leave the truck and walk into the mall. Jazzy and Lynlee are waiting for me at the entryway, their faces covered in all kinds of questions. So, I assume they were watching from the front door. My stomach growls loudly as the aroma of the food court hits my nostrils.

“Let’s eat.” I don’t give them the option to refuse. Instead I walk straight over to one of the counters and order my food. Jenny and Lynlee both order an iced tea, and I just have them throw it on my ticket.

A chilidog, large order of fries, and three drinks fill the black tray as we wind our way through the maze of tables until we find one that looks half decent with no crumbs left behind. My stomach is screaming to me; I had no idea I was so incredibly hungry. I dig in, starting with the chilidog. After bite four or five I look up to find my two friends staring at me.

“What?” I ask around a mouthful of food.

“What’s going on with you?” Lynlee leans on the table.

“Nothing, I’m hungry.”

“I’ve tried texting you over and over.” Lynlee holds up her phone as proof. “Not until today do you answer when Jazzy calls you.”

I try to shrug the question off as I continue to inhale my food. A thick tension settles between us, and I know in my gut Lynlee isn’t ready to leave this topic alone.

“Who was the guy in the truck?” She motions to the front doors.

“Beau.”

Jazzy’s eyebrows shoot up. “Who is Beau?”

“He’s my new friend.”

“New friend who you kiss.” Jazzy whops Lynlee in the shoulder.

“Lynlee, stop it,” Jazzy says.

“It’s fine,” I offer. “I met Beau at your wedding, Jazzy, and we’ve hit it off.”

“Are you fucking serious?” Lynlee yells.

Everyone around us is now staring, thanks to her. She doesn’t drop the F bomb that often, so I know I’ve struck a chord with her.

“Why would you care, Lynlee? You didn’t even realize I had left. Also, your grand gesture of texting didn’t go unnoticed. You didn’t reach out until days afterward.”

“Stop,” Jazzy hisses. “Stop fighting now, both of you. What’s done is done.”

“That’s right. What’s done is done.” I stuff a golden French fry in my mouth and lean back in my chair. I’m shocked when the tears and anger don’t come. I sit there and stare right back at Lynlee.

Jazzy jumps in and takes the conversation in a completely different direction. “We had another ultrasound when we came back from the honeymoon.” She swirls a fry in the ketchup as she talks. “Well, it’s still a boy and he’s huge.”

“Congrats, Jazzy,” I pipe up. “How was your honeymoon in Aspen?”

“Well, I’m a bit sore, I must admit.” Her cheeks flush crimson. Them Wilks boys are known as go-getters, especially Levi.

Jazzy turns to Lynlee. “Have you decided if you guys are going to find out the sex of your little peanut?”

“No, we both decided we want to be surprised.” She throws a napkin at Jazzy. “And plus, Lincoln said he couldn’t take it if we have a girl and he’s continually harassed by Levi.”

We all laugh at that comment because it is so true. Lincoln and Levi Wilks are the poster boys for competiveness. Neither of them is ever willing to give in or give up. Levi’s team recently won the Super Bowl, and of course they played Lincoln’s team, so Linc was pretty damn quiet and humbled around the time of the wedding.

Jazzy and Levi made the wedding party wear Dallas gear to the rehearsal dinner, and Lynlee and Linc played along. However, if the tables were turned I know damn well Levi never would have been such a good sport. It’s the cocky side of him that everyone is attracted to.

“C’mon, girls, I want a new outfit for tonight.” Jazzy stands from the table with her belly protruding well past her feet. She’s absolutely gorgeous pregnant, glowing and all that other shit. Lynlee stands as well, and within the few short weeks we’ve been apart, her belly, too, has grown and there’s no doubt she’s expecting.

“Great, we’re going to Maternityhood?” I link arms with Lynlee and begin walking.

“The way you were making out in that truck, are you sure you’re not with child?” Jazzy asks.

I grab her arm and link it with mine too, so I’m sandwiched in between the girls.

“Oh, honey, that was nothing,” I joke back.

I don’t miss Lynlee’s warning glance. Leaning in on her side, I whisper into her ear, “Please, trust me on this, Lynlee. He’s a good guy. Actually a great guy. I may have found my Lincoln. Please, just trust me.”

She doesn’t respond as we enter Maternityhood and I silently gag at all the clothes. I let the two browse the racks and I mentally make a note to never get knocked up. Digging through my purse, I find my pack of birth control and double-check the dates. Watching woman after woman with swollen ankles waddle around, and some even chasing little hellions, is enough to convince me to get sterilized.

“Wipe that look off your face.”

Looking up, I see Jazzy holding up two outfits.

“What?”

“I can see that pregnant woman disgust all over your face.”

“That obvious?”

“Slightly. But which one do you like?”

In one hand she has a little black dress I’d bet she couldn’t even get her ass in, and in the other a pair of very loose pattern pants with a petite matching tank top.

“The dress because I’d love to see you squeeze into it.”

“Asshole.”