by SM Olivier
“You shave?” I inquired somewhat breathlessly as he pulled away to look down at me.
His mouth quirked. “I do. Mom was half Italian. I seemed to have inherited that hairy side of her family. I hated how it felt when I worked out, so I started shaving it.”
I smiled and pulled him down for another kiss before I reached out to stroke him. I heard his breath catch before he pulled away from me.
“Nuh-uh, not tonight. It’s a school night, and I don’t want to be rushed when we finally consummate our relationship,” he said with a gasping groan.
I pouted but understood his reasoning. I kind of wanted to savor our first time together too. I was horny as hell, but I could wait a little longer for him. I was content enough to increase our intimacy in other ways.
I hopped up to use the bathroom. I gave Lochlann a mock disgruntled look, but then paused in the doorway.
“Can we still make out until I get tired?” I compromised.
He shook his head and smiled, eye-crinkles and all. “Yeah, we can do that. Want me to turn on a movie first?”
I nodded. I realized early on that the quiet of the night was too unnerving for me. When I slept with Crew one night, his need to have his music and the fan on helped keep my nightmares at bay; that was until I fell into a deep sleep.
In the beginning, I would startle awake a lot before I could even fall completely asleep. The others must have been talking, and Crew must have related his experience with me because, later, all of them would put on some background noise so I could find sleep.
I did my business in the adjoining bathroom before washing my hands and came back out to the bedroom. Lochlann had just finished turning off the lights, and the Roku screen was up when I slipped back into the room. I climbed into bed with him and gave him an impish smile.
“Ready to make out now,” I chirped.
Lochlann gave me a sexy smirk before sliding back into bed with me. My patience was definitely tested as I tried to push him for more than just kisses and light petting despite my earlier mental resolve. Apparently, my body hadn’t gotten the memo.
●
It was funny, the things you didn’t consciously pick up at times. My mind liked to wander to the day Tormentor decided to put out a whole pack of cigarettes on my arm. Without a doubt, I knew I hated the smell of second-hand cigarette smoke. When my stepdad, Sean, had smoked in the house, the scent would cling to my clothing, hair, and numerous other places. Now the smell would always be associated with the sound of a lighter as it clicked into life.
My dreams were invaded by the click, click, click before distorted figures morphed above me. In the depths of my nightmares, they had the ability to paralyze me, and it was the sound of my own terrified screams that woke me up.
Tonight, it was the combination of my screams and Lochlann’s door nearly being kicked off the hinges that woke me up.
I noticed Lochlann was poised above me as the reverberation of the door bouncing off the walls continued, and then the light overhead was turned on. I blinked in confusion, and I felt the beginnings of a panic attack set in.
There was shouting and chaos all around me, exactly the opposite atmosphere I needed after I was woken from the nightmare I was just having. I was unable to fight my instincts as Lochlann reached for me. I lashed out without thought and screamed as I punched and kicked out at him.
It felt like I was having an out-of-body experience as Cooper came tearing across the room and tackled Lochlann to the floor. I watched in distorted disbelief as I watched Cooper try to punch Lochlann. I vaguely realized Kyler crouching down in front of me, as Zane and Crew removed Cooper off of Lochlann. It felt like Golden and Paxton’s voice was underwater as I glanced over and looked at them. They had their hands up, trying to prevent Sal from coming into the room.
Kyler embraced me tightly. “Breathe kitten, breathe,” I heard from a distance. “Feel my chest, hear my breath. Breathe with me, breathe.
I tried to claw my throat in a desperate attempt to let some air into my lungs. I shook my head as the blackness invaded my vision. I was in danger of passing out. I knew it, but I was too weak to prevent it.
“Breathe with me,” Kyler insisted as he placed one of my hands against his chest over his beating heart and the other over his mouth.
I could feel the steady beat of his heart against my palm. The warmth of his breath caressed the other.
Kyler continued murmuring to me and I tried to imitate him. I watched the exaggerated motion of his lips. I felt the rise and fall of his chest against my own. Eventually, my surroundings came crashing back to me.
“You sick pig, what were you doing to her?” I heard Cooper snarl.
“It’s not what it looked like,” Crew growled.
“What kind of sick game are you guys playing?” Cooper yelled as spittle flew off his lips. “You know how vulnerable she is and you take advantage of her? I see how all of you touch her. And you,” he glared at Lochlann, “I thought you were above touching one of your students.”
“We aren’t taking advantage of her,” Paxton inserted vehemently. “We were all in a relationship with her before she was taken. And Lochlann isn’t her teacher. He’s not even her counselor.”
“Why was she screaming, then? And why was he half-naked on top of her, in his bed?” Cooper thundered.
Clay began to wail from his bedroom, and Golden stepped away from a now calm Sal to walk out of the bedroom.
I finally realized what was going on, and I jumped up to insert myself between Lochlann and Cooper. The look of devastation on Lochlann’s face tore my heart out. He looked ashamed.
“I have nightmares,” I insisted. “Lochlann and the other guys never took advantage of me. Especially Lochlann.”
I knew Cooper and Sal were well aware of my nightmares. However, they had never barged into one of our rooms. Typically, they knocked on the door and called out to us. Then one of the guys would have to reassure them that I had a nightmare. They never dared to kick down any of our doors!
“I wonder if the cops will agree when they arrive,” Cooper sneered. “And don’t think I won’t let your grandpa know when I call him in the morning.”
“Why would you call the cops?” I yelled. “I’m eighteen years old! I’m more than capable of making my own decisions with who I see. Other than platonically sleeping in the same bed as him to assist me with my night terrors, we haven’t been intimate at all! Not that it’s any of your business.”
My fear and panic attacks were quickly forgotten as I attempted to reassure them. I could see Lochlann wouldn’t utter a word in his defense. Even with the knowledge of the legal ramifications of our actions, the moral dilemma still weighed heavily on him.
“Do you really think David Delaney Sr. would allow her to live with us if he was concerned with her safety?” Kyler added, his jaw and fists clenched simultaneously. “He trusts us with her. Call the police back and cancel the call.”
“We can’t. There was a perimeter breach,” Sal explained calmly. “We have one of the night guards watching the perpetrators. One of them is claiming to be your mother's boyfriend. He claims he is here on her behalf. She would like to talk to you.”
I closed my eyes. A feeling of disbelief engulfed me, followed closely by suspicion. I hadn’t seen my mother for two months. As far as I knew, she never even bothered contacting me in all that time, either. It could be a ploy for someone to get close to me.
Fear and anger were battling within me.
“I have no mother,” I said with a deadpan expression.
I spent years watching her get abused and begged her to leave. She turned a blind eye when Sean started in on me. Then, mere weeks of us moving here, she decided to go without even a goodbye.
I had been missing for about three weeks and had been back for two. As far as I knew, never once did Priscilla, my mom, try to reach out to me or even join the efforts to look for me. She certainly had ways to contact me before today.
; I knew some people would think I was too harsh on her, but they hadn’t gone through what I had. She decided to turn her back on me. Figuratively speaking, she had handed me the scissors to cut the strings of our relationship. Why shouldn’t I use them to cut her out of my life?
●
“And you’re sure you have no clue who those men are?” the officer inquired as he pointed to the three men in the back of the squad cars.
The night air wasn’t the only thing that caused the shudder to ripple through my body. The three men weren’t poorly dressed or even terrible looking, but the look in their eyes made the alarm bells go off in my head. I couldn’t pinpoint what exactly caused the feeling of unease, but I didn’t like the feeling they gave me.
They had trouble written all over them. I didn’t know why the men were here, who sent them, or even if they knew my mother. All I knew was I wanted nothing to do with them, and I definitely didn’t want to hear a word out of their mouths.
As I took a deep breath and then out, the smokey wisp of my breath danced visibly in the frigid night air, the smell of fall heavy. The wind was tearing through the thin material of my hoodie. Zane seemed to sense my chill, because he came up behind me and wrapped his arms around me.
I shook my head and crossed my arms over my chest as I answered, “No. not a clue.”
“Even if she did,” Kyler argued to the officer, “why would they think now would be an appropriate time to pay her a visit? It’s after midnight!”
“They are claiming Priscilla wanted to check on the welfare of her child,” the cop said. “She alleges that all attempts at contacting her have failed. She’s worried that Ms. Delaney is in an unsafe environment and sent her friends to ensure her safety. They claimed that they tried to come during normal hours but was turned away.” He grimaced as if even he didn’t believe the words he was speaking.
“I’m no longer a child, officer,” I asserted as I gave Cooper a pointed look. “My mother left me with my… stepfather without a word. She didn’t care about me then. I tried to contact her numerous times until, eventually, she disconnected her phone. She never called me then. Then I was abducted, and as far as I know, she never even tried to join in the search. I’ve been home for weeks now. Priscilla knows I still go to school, so why would she assume twelve-thirty in the morning would be an opportune time to finally reach out to me?”
“On that note, please charge them for trespassing and inform them in the future if Peyton’s mom wants to communicate with her, there are better times and ways.” Kyler sighed deeply. “We have two kids we’re struggling to put back to bed, and we all have school or work in the morning. Not only is their approach unorthodox, but it’s also highly suspicious.”
“I would have to agree,” the officer concurred. “I’ll process them tonight, and I’ll apprise Officer Pope of the new development. He may or may not contact you tomorrow morning. If that’s all, I’ll leave you, folks, to return to bed.”
“Thanks,” I murmured my appreciation.
The FBI still seemed to have our case open but used Officer Pope as a point of contact. Apparently, he had worked tirelessly in my absence and had earned accolades and acknowledgment for it. It was well deserved, and I was pleased he was being recognized for it.
I could hear the men in the back of the squad car yelling at the officer as he opened his door. I refused to meet their glares. I didn’t trust them. A shudder ran through my body, one that had nothing to do with the chill in the air, as my mind began to wonder if Priscilla really had sent them or if they knew Tormentor.
Fear began to clutch my chest once more, and I felt Zane pull me in close, almost painfully. It seemed to work, and I shut down my anxious dark thoughts. I would never get back to sleep if I wandered down the “what if” path. I needed my rest tonight.
I was determined to reclaim my life. There was no way in hell I was allowing Tormentor, Coach, and Principal Boyd to steal any more of it. I needed to continue endeavoring forward until, hopefully, their involvement in my life became a distant memory.
“Time to get back to bed,” Zane insisted quietly.
As he guided me towards the house, I knew without a shadow of a doubt I wasn’t returning to Lochlann’s bedroom, especially after I saw Sal and Cooper having a whispered heated debate. I knew there was no convincing Cooper to go back to the apartment above the garage tonight. He was bound and determined to talk to Grandpa before he allowed me near the guys by myself.
Throughout the officer’s visit, Cooper had maintained his frigid stance towards me. I could understand the concern if I had never explained our situation. However, he almost seemed controlling. If he didn’t knock it off soon, I would ask him to be reassigned to the main house.
Grandpa had upped their security and had a lot more security on his staff. I didn’t doubt that Cooper was good at his job, but he didn’t seem to understand the boundaries I had set forth. I couldn’t allow him to continue treating me like a child. I lost my childhood innocence years ago. I was forced to grow up. I was more than capable of making my own decisions about my life, and he needed to understand and respect that.
He still seemed suspicious of me and my relationships. Quite frankly, I didn’t appreciate how he continued to behave as if my kidnapping affected my way of thinking. Sal seemed to accept the truth and believe us when we told them that this was our life, that no one was taking advantage of me. Unfortunately, Cooper seemed unwilling and unable to recognize the truth.
What made me even more irritated was the fact that Lochlann had utterly shut down, and I almost physically felt the distance he was putting between us again. This push and pull between us was emotionally draining me. But try as I might, I couldn’t let him go. I wouldn’t let him go. I knew he wanted to be with me, and I wanted to be with him, but life seemed determined to keep us separated.
Right then, I had no fight left in me. There was nothing Sal and Cooper could say to us if Zane joined me in bed. Even if they tried, I had every confidence that Kyler would take care of them. He would be the voice Lochlann and I couldn’t find.
7
●
Flaws
I felt like my legs were made of lead, my eyes puffy with exhaustion, and I felt nauseous. The desire to go back to sleep and postpone my return to dance and school was highly tempting. If it wasn’t for Zane and his decision to attend dance with me, I didn’t think I would have been strong enough to go.
If I were honest with myself, I would admit it wasn’t just my exhaustion that had my stomach in knots with nausea. The idea that I would be under intense scrutiny today wasn’t helping my disposition any. Before my abduction, I had issues with people, namely family members that didn’t appreciate my sudden appearance in their lives. I couldn’t imagine their attitudes towards me had changed much.
Especially considering Leah and Catherine, my biological father's wife, and even some of my other family members never bothered reaching out to me in any way. Anya had brought me a gift basket and flowers from the school, from my team and instructors. I hadn’t failed to notice that my cousin, Bailey, and her friends hadn’t even bothered signing the card.
I was well aware that some of the people I would see or encounter today hadn’t been my biggest fans. I dreaded the treatment I covertly—or overtly—might receive at their hands. I wasn’t naïve to believe they’d leave me alone or, better yet, ignore me.
I knew the smartest thing for me to do was take my Grandpa’s suggestion. He wanted me to finish out my senior year with a tutor and drop the dance team. I could still perform as an individual for networking purposes.
But I just couldn’t allow my agitators the satisfaction of knowing they could have so much control over my life.
“Let’s go, beautiful,” Zane murmured. “You’re ready to return to your life. You have me. You have us,” he reassured me as if he understood my silent struggle.
It was an argument I had vacillated over several times in the last couple of weeks. It wa
s a struggle I was sure to frequently experience until I felt like I had gained my life back.
I nodded, somewhat reassured by his reminder. “I know,” I murmured. “I’m just… second-guessing my decisions. Thank you for getting up early for practices this week.”
Zane informed me in the middle of last week that he had talked to his mother about early morning workouts. With the upcoming competition, we had to polish off our piece. We would practice the hour before school began. Then he would go to school while I attempted to learn the group number until I went to school myself.
Anya and I already discussed the slim likelihood of me having a solo. Before my abduction, I would have protested the decision, but I was realistic enough to recognize my duo and group number would be taxing enough on my recovering body. In the past, I had been known to push my body past the point of rationality. However, I also realized I had never been through the ordeal I had just experienced.
I would bide my time. It was competition season, and one missed competition wouldn’t be too detrimental to my dancing career. I gave it a week or two, certain that I would be able to perform a solo once more. It might not be as technical or complicated as my past pieces, but I was confident I could achieve an excellent performance.
I pulled my bags out of the closet, thankful I had packed them last night. I was an uncoordinated mess as I stumbled back out of the closet. I looked longingly at my unmade bed once more, and it took everything I had not to answer its tempting call.
I had slept for less than four hours last night. It had been a struggle shutting my brain down enough to seek sleep. Every little noise and thought had me jumping and paranoid. I hoped Officer Pope could confirm the relationship between our intruders and my mother. The alternative was too terrifying.
It had taken every trick in the book for Zane to get me to sleep. He turned on some music and then resorted to “tickles” until I fell asleep. Somehow he had discovered that if he ran his fingertips across my arms, neck, and back, it would relax me until I fell asleep. The feel of his barely-there caress caused my nerve ending to tingle and helped lull me to slumber.