The Devastatingly Beautiful Series (4 page)

8

Molly

How do I tell someone I barely know my life story? I know I should, but I moved here to this town to get away from everyone’s knowing stare back in Tacoma. Now these assholes have found me and there doesn’t look to be any other way out.

“I haven’t ever told anyone other than Evie what I’m about to tell you,” I start off. Tatum’s right next to me, his hand resting on my knee. We’re sitting on the floor against the wall and the human contact right now feels reassuring.

“I married young at the ripe age of 19. We were so in love and no one was going to stop us from being together for the rest of our lives.”

Tatum still hasn’t moved, but I can tell he’s listening carefully.

I tell him of our initial attempt to get pregnant and how after three failures we didn’t think children were in the cards for us. I had a photography shop set up and Brian was doing work for a local steel factory. He was always gone, working as I assumed.

“Right around our 5th wedding anniversary I found out that Brian had been laid off for about a year. I was too busy to check where the money was coming from. As long as it was in our account, I was fine,” I trail off. The hand on my knee reaches over and grabs my hand. This next part’s going to be hard, and Tatum knows it.

“I found out I was pregnant shortly after finding out the truth about Brian. He was working for a local gang buying and distributing drugs. Hard stuff. More than just pot. I was devastated to say the least. We finally got our wish to have a family and he is involved with something like this.” It takes me a few deep breaths to calm down before continuing. I haven’t said this next part out loud in five years and I’m not sure how I’m going to, but I know I have to.

“Her name was going to be Alice.” I will not cry, I will not cry. “Three weeks before my due date we were attacked in our house. The men mentioned missing drugs and money. I was sure it wasn’t us as Brian told me he had gotten out of the business. What did I know though? They told Brian he had to pay. The man aimed the gun and shot. When the bullet hit me all I remember is a sharp pain, warm blood, and being very, very cold. I guess after they made him watch that they shot and killed him as well.”

I blink away tears. Tears won’t solve anything right now.

“I know what they want. I got an anonymous letter shortly after I got home from the hospital, telling me they would be back for the money. That’s when I packed a bag and left. Left all of my money and most belongings in the Tacoma house.  Ended up here where I put down roots.”

Tatum

It’s taking all I have now not to go find those bastards. When Molly curls into me, though, I know I’m right where I need to be right now. She smells so good. I caress her hair, telling her it’ll all be alright. There are no backing to my words, but I know it’s what she needs to hear right now. I’ve been around too many women in distress to know that logical talk doesn’t work in a time like this.

She fits so perfect next to me, but I feel like an ass because all I can think about is how well she would fit around me, moaning my name.

“I’m sorry that I had to tell you, I’m sorry you are even involved with this.” She blinks up at me. She looks so beautiful right now.

My mind blanks out, completely forgetting what just happened in this office. Then I kiss her. A soft kiss that’s meant to calm her and show her I’m glad she shared. One that’s means to show her she doesn’t need to be sorry, and that I’m here for her. A kiss that goes from soft to urgent in a matter of seconds. Her hands wrap around my neck and she shifts herself onto my lap. I’m already getting hard at the thought of being so close and this isn’t helping.

“You don’t need this right now, Molly.” I try to break away, but she pulls me back.

“Make me forget,” she begs and grinds against me.

“Molly, listen to me” I pull myself away and stand up. I can’t be this guy. The one who is there to fuck the crying chick he just met a couple of days ago. “You will regret this. Maybe not now, maybe not tomorrow, but one day you will wake up and regret making our first time together be remembered like this… in the ruins of your recently destroyed office.”

She looks like she’s going to break down again so I push on, trying to talk myself out of the hole I’m digging with my asshole mouth.

“Listen, when we do have our first time, and I mean WHEN, not if, it will be the best first time you have ever had. You will remember it for the rest of your life. I don’t want our first time together to be tainted with the memories of today. I want it to be full of the passion we both have for each other, because I know you do. I want it to be full of the promises of the future that we both hold so dear, because I know we both do. It’s crazy, I know, but you have this… pull… on me. I can’t stop thinking about you, and I see in your eyes you feel the exact same way. If I gave into my desires I would have you right now on that desk, and one day maybe I will, but today isn’t the day for this. Today is a day for recovery.”

She looks at me for a moment, then lowers her head to my shoulder.  I wrap my arms around her and kiss her head. I know

“You’re right, I’m sorry. I just can’t believe I told you that and saying those words out loud after such a long silence hurt more than I thought it would. Then there is you and all of your… well look at you! I don’t know what came over me. I’m sorry.” She sniffles and starts to stand, but I stop her, gripping her hips with my hands.

I can only be so much of a saint. She looks so damn sad and beautiful. My balls are going to be blue for weeks after today’s adventures, but what the hell, right? I pull her in for an earth shattering kiss. The only type I know how to give her at the moment. Something in my chest breaks and things begin to thaw. I’m falling for Molly Ward. Who am I kidding? I’ve already fallen and hit rock bottom in love. Shit.

9

Molly

His lips feel perfect on mine. So soft, with a hint of need. What’s happening here? Everything comes crashing down around me. I let my walls fall. I told someone my secret and it was someone who I could very well fall in love with. And he didn’t run. He didn’t blame me for letting my baby die.

“Thank you for everything today, Tatum. I mean it.” I say as I grab my stuff to go. I need to get out of here. He goes to follow, but I stop him. “No. Thank you, but I need a bit to myself to sort through everything. I’ll have someone come board everything up and I, uh, I’ll call you tomorrow.”

With that, I leave him standing in the middle of my ransacked office, staring at the crazy woman running away from him.

What the fuck just happened? Today was supposed to be any other day. Two shoots, rest time in-between, and home to go to bed. Instead, it turned into a melt-down, crazed killer, secret spilling type of day. The man has only known me for two days and he’s already learned my biggest secret. No one in this town, expect for Evie, knows my secret. And now he’s etched his way into my heart somehow. I don’t like the feeling of waiting to see someone again, but that’s what I’m doing. I actually feel an emptiness now that he’s not right next to me, but I need some time alone with my thoughts.

Trying to rid myself of the feelings I’m unwelcomingly getting, I grab my camera and hop in my car. Putting the phone on speaker, I dial Evie’s number. She got me out of my darkness when I came to this town, surely she can help me out with this one.

“Hey, sweet cheeks.” I love her answer. It’s something new every time.

“Hey, E, drama time. You have a minute?”

“Holy shit, no way?! You never have any drama! Yes, yes of course. I have all the time in the world for you. Or two hours... whichever comes first.”

“So, I have a new assistant.”

“Oh yea? Is she as good as me?”

“Ha-ha, well HE is no comparison. At least in the studio. I’ve never made out with you so I don’t know how you guys compare.”

“WHAT THE FUCK MOLLY!?” I hear sputtering, then hysterical laughter. Maybe she’s not the one to talk to after all. “You mean to tell me that I leave town and you find a new assistant AND fuck buddy all in one!?”

“E, it’s not like that. He wouldn’t have sex with me. So much has happened today.” I tell her about my entire day. She listens, inserting in her two cents when needed. I leave nothing out because she knows everything.

“That’s fucked up, Mol. You need to call the cops, get someone else involved.”

“Evie, I know that sounds like the logical thing to do, but they have ears and eyes everywhere. If I do that and they find out, I’m dead.”

“I don’t like the sound of this. They’re quiet for years. Why all of a sudden come after you now?”

“They were regrouping and trying to find me, I’m guessing. It’s a long haul from Tacoma to here, ya know.”

“So, what are you going to do?”

“I don’t know. Brian never told me where any of the money was or what happened to the drugs. I know they’re after the money, but I have no clue where I would even begin to look for it.”

The thing is, I do know of a place I could look. A place no one would ever think to look. A place that would mean revisiting the very thing I’ve been running from for five years.

Tatum

I’ve been calling Molly all morning and no one’s picking up. Maybe she turned her phone off before bed. She had a long day yesterday, so maybe she wanted to block out the world for a while. I still don’t know where she lives, so I head into the studio and start cleaning up from yesterday’s mess. I make a few phone calls to some local stores to get the glass fixed and get the locks replaced on all the doors. I also have the highest tech alarm system available installed. Yes, it meant using my name and wealth, but I’d do anything to keep her safe at this point. Even airing out my dirty laundry for all to see.

Its noon before I finish up and decide to go looking for Molly. I have a feeling she doesn’t do this a lot. Heading into the market, I spy Betty. She’s nice, though she tries way too hard to look younger and it is very obvious. I’m just glad I’m finally learning names.

“Hey, Betty, have you seen Molly today? I can’t get ahold of her and needed to run some things by her for work.” I lie. I don’t want word spreading of yesterday’s adventures.

“No, I haven’t as a matter of fact. Normally I see her in the morning when we stop to get coffee, but she wasn’t there this morning. Come to think of it, her car wasn’t in her drive when I went by either. Hmm, strange.” She looks honestly worried that something might’ve happened to her, which sets me off even more.

I’m able to get her address from Betty and decide to take matter into my own hands. Feeling worried, I thank Betty and make my way out to the car. I don’t know the town all too well, but I do know what Molly likes to do when she gets upset. Photography. It’s her go to, feel good activity. I need to find her and hopefully will do just that. Just by looking at her portfolios I know of the places she likes to photograph.

I visit the park, some running paths that I noticed from her albums, and went back to the studio, but still nothing. After three hours and still no Molly I’m out of options. I really have no clue where she could be and I’m starting to get a bit frantic. Heading back into the studio, I sit at her desk to think. This is when I noticed a notecard on the floor. How did I miss that earlier? My stomach drops when I read it:

Tatum,

I know you want to help, but this is bigger than you could ever imagine. Thank you for your support, but you need to leave and save yourself from this mess.

Molly

Shit, this woman. She thinks I’m some random normal guy, but I’m actually exactly what she needs to get through this mess. Why does she insist on dealing with those thugs all by herself?

Within an hour I have all of Molly’s personal information at my fingertips thanks to my friend Eddie. I wish she’d show up so I don’t have to intrude in her life this way. We barely know each other, but I feel such a connection to her after just one kiss I can’t leave her alone now. Especially after what happened. She’s the only girl that’s ever made me feel this way and now she could be gone for good. I can’t take the thought of that. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if something happens to her.

Opening the file on my laptop, I quickly scan through bank records, loan records, and everything else imaginable that she has done in this small town in the last 5 years. It’s not a lot. She’s a home body from the looks of it, and doesn’t spend money on unnecessary things. Definitely not like any of the women I’ve ever been with before. Eddie helps me gain access remotely to her computer so I can check her files to see if anything sends up a red flag. Nothing out of the norm from first glance, but there’s a locked file hiding in her documents that makes me think twice. Its title is BA and it’s locked with a 13 digit password. I pick up the phone and call Eddie.

“Hey, man. Find what you needed?” I hear his keys clicking in the background and know I’m interrupting him in the middle of work, but I don’t care. I need to know where she is, and if this file is the answer to my question then I’ll be damned if I let guilt get in the way of me finding my girl.

My girl?

Yes. My girl.

“Not yet, I need you to try and get into this file I’m sending you. This might be exactly what I need.”

“Will do, over and out.”

I hope to god this is what will lead me to her. I’m starting to fear the worst and every time I think about what they could do to her the ache in my chest gets worse.