KILLER: An Unfit Hero Novel

by Faiman, Hayley

  At the end of the day, her personal life with him isn’t my business and as much as I want to demand that she do what I want, that wouldn’t be fair.

  Grabbing my phone, I search for Tulip’s name and touch call. The phone only rings twice before she picks up.

  “Hello?” she calls, sounding as though she’s smiling.

  “You okay, baby?” I ask.

  There’s a moment of pause and I hear the background noise slowly die down. “I was just finishing up the dishes and watching television,” she states as her answer.

  I don’t say anything else, waiting for her to tell me if she’s okay or not. She sucks in a breath and then I hear her sweet whisper.

  “I’m okay, Louie,” she breathes.

  Closing my eyes, I let out a sigh. “You get all unpacked?”

  She explains that she did and also tells me about her plans to go to the school tomorrow, the store, Headlights, and then finally to Laurie’s to raid her closet for a dress.

  “Why don’t you just go buy one?” I ask. “I left an envelope of cash at the house, if you need more money, just let me know.”

  Her breath hitches before she speaks. “You did, why? Where?”

  “Wanted to make sure you were okay. It’s hidden,” I say as my answer.

  Neither of us says anything right away, I wait for her to speak and I’m glad that she does. “I’m borrowing Laurie’s dress because I don’t need to buy one, not when I’ll never wear it again. I’ll probably buy shoes though.”

  Smiling, I lean my head back against the couch. “Okay, Tullie. You use my money to buy the shoes, yeah?”

  “I’ll use my own money. I don’t have to pay rent anymore and I’m going to talk to my boss at the store about my hours, with school I’m going to have to cut back.”

  “We’ll talk about that after the fight. Why are you going to Headlights?” I ask.

  “I’m going to talk to my boss and pick up my last check.”

  “Good. Hated that you worked there, but fuckin’ loved how you looked up on that stage.” I chuckle.

  And that is how I spend my evening. Talking to my woman on the phone for hours. I learn more about her in those few hours than I have in her presence, mainly because I can’t taste and fuck her from the phone.

  It’s nice, innocent, fucking beautiful and it makes me wonder why the fuck I allowed her to come here four days after me and not with me.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  TULIP

  I’m jogging away from Headlights, my second to last stop before I meet Hutton at Laurie’s house. My boss was great, a little too excited to see me go. I think he was just tired of some of the drama that had started to swirl around me and to be honest, I’m tired of it too. I hope that everything has calmed down now.

  After stopping at the bank, I go toward the grocery store. The meeting with my new school went beyond better than I could have ever imagined.

  I’ll be able to start next semester, full time. I didn’t know what the hours would be like, but it looks like I won’t be able to continue working at the store unless I work nights and weekends.

  Once I park my car, I bite the corner of my lip at the idea of working nights and weekends when Louis is back home. I don’t want to do that. My savings isn’t as healthy as I would like it to be. I’ll be able to just pay for tuition for the school, but nothing else.

  As if on cue, my phone rings and I smile as I glance down at the name on my caller ID. “Hey, Louie,” I say as soon as I slide my thumb across the screen.

  “How did it go?” he asks.

  “They said I was as good as in. I filled out all the applications and everything.”

  “Why do you not sound as happy as you should?” he asks, his voice dripping with concern.

  I stare at the entrance to the store through my windshield and I can’t help but feel a bit sad about the prospect of leaving. I’ve been working there since I was in high school.

  It was my first job and the only place that would give me a chance. It kept me from being homeless. The store kept me alive and I feel like I’m turning my back on it.

  “The school is full time. I would have to work nights and weekends at the store,” I explain.

  Louis grunts, a reaction that I fully expected from him. “And if you don’t work at all, if you just focus on school?” he asks, his voice soft and almost hesitant.

  Pressing my lips together, I close my eyes. “What I have saved, it will pay for tuition only,” I breathe.

  “Let me take care of everything else, Tullie. You have worked hard for this school, I want you to enjoy every fucking moment.”

  Smiling, I shake my head even though I know that he can’t see me. “You want me to be home on evenings and weekends with you,” I say.

  He grunts. “Damn straight I fuckin’ do.”

  “Okay,” I breathe.

  “Yeah?”

  Nodding, my lips stay curled in a smile. “Yeah.”

  “How many more days?”

  “Three,” I sigh.

  There is a voice in the background and I hear Louis’ murmur before he lets out another grunt, then a deep grumble. “Okay, Gary, in a minute,” he snaps. “I have to go, baby. Call you later tonight?”

  “Please,” I exhale.

  “Fuck but I love it when you sound like that, all breathy and shit.”

  “Three days.”

  “Fucking right.”

  The call ends and I can’t help but continue to stare off into space for a few more moments just soaking up the raspy grumble that Louis left me with.

  I think about the way that he obviously wants to take care of me, but doesn’t want to push me too hard. He doesn’t want to take over every aspect of my life and rule me, but he’s right at my back, ready to do whatever he can.

  I love him. I truly do and not because he’s sexy and hot. It isn’t because he obviously has money, though I have no clue how much. It’s because he is right there, being supportive without being overwhelming.

  He’s ready to take my life by the reins if I need him to, but he doesn’t snatch them out of my hands, he lets me attempt to muddle through as best I can.

  He’s a strong, silent observer and he’s perfect. Climbing out of my car, I head toward the store. This place has been my only constant, it’s been here to hold me up when I needed it, to have my back when I needed that too. But I don’t need the place anymore, I have Louis who does all of that—and more.

  Mark is standing at Brenda’s station when I arrive. I’m sure that I’m supposed to give someone else my notice, but it seems fitting that after everything, I give it to Mark. Deciding not to be alone with him in the breakroom, I jerk my head to the side of the customer service counter and wait.

  He slowly makes his way toward me, his gait cocky and sure. “Tulip,” he purrs.

  “I just wanted to let you know that I won’t be back.”

  I’ve been on a break since everything happened with Silas, a rest and recovery time that was demanded of me, and I gladly accepted. But I had always planned to come back, but things have changed.

  Mark blinks, then he narrows his eyes. “Why? Why are you leaving?” he barks.

  It’s not his business, but I can tell that he’s on the verge of snapping and I honestly don’t know what he’s capable of if he does. Even though he wasn’t the one who left the notes, like I suspected, I am absolutely under no illusion that he is suddenly trustworthy.

  “I’ve decided to enroll in school. It’s time for me to move on,” I say softly, cautiously.

  Mark frowns, his head tilting to the side before he speaks. “You’re serious about that guy?”

  Nodding, I press my lips together, careful not to blurt out that it’s not his business and simultaneously that I’m glad I won’t be seeing him every day anymore.

  It’s really hard not to say any of the things that I’m thinking, so hard in fact that I have to bite the inside of my cheek the entire time.

  “Okay,
yeah. I’ve got Charlie, now. Just, you take care of yourself, okay? I’ll always be here for you,” he breathes, taking a step toward me as his arms begin to open.

  Taking a step back, I hold up my hand and give him a wave as I take another step back to ward off his advances.

  “Thank you, Mark, and I’ll see you soon.” I smile as I say the hopeful lie. I really don’t want to ever see him again.

  “Things didn’t work out as planned, that’s okay, they will,” he mutters.

  I don’t ask him what he means, I don’t care. I just want out of his space. Turning around, I practically sprint out of the store.

  Reaching into my pocket, I pull out my car keys and my phone. Once I’m inside of my car, my engine started and in reverse, only then do I decide to try to give Charlie a call again. Something about Mark just seemed really, really, off—more than usual.

  She picks up on the third ring and she sounds really tired, almost groggy as she says hello.

  “Charlie?”

  She hums. “Tulip,” she answers.

  “Where are you?” I demand.

  There’s a moment of silence. It’s too long of a moment, far too long. My heart stops pounding in my chest as I hold my breath and wait for her to speak. She moans, then I hear rustling around.

  “I’m at my place,” she breathes.

  “Send me your address, I’m coming over,” I snap.

  I think that she’s going to deny me, but instead she surprises me. “Okay,” she sighs before she ends the call.

  Lifting my gaze up to the store, I catch a glimpse of Mark watching me, he’s got a sly smile on his face, just as my phone notifies me of a new text message.

  Narrowing my gaze on Mark, I shift my attention to my phone and then begin to head toward Charlie. Something is definitely up with her.

  I’ve had my own shit to go down, but it hasn’t escaped me that the last couple times I’ve tried to contact her, I either get an extremely exhausted shortened conversation, or no answer at all.

  Her small bungalow comes into view and I shift my car in park before I run toward her front door. I don’t bother knocking as I turn the handle and push my way inside. The first thing that I notice is that it smells, no it stinks.

  There is trash everywhere. Granted, I don’t know Charlie all that well, but she never struck me as a hoarder, except that’s exactly what it looks like. There are empty food containers littering the floor of the living room. I step on a pizza box on my way toward the back of the house.

  “Charlie,” I call out.

  I hear a muffled noise in the back of the house, toward a room. Inhaling a deep breath, I cough at the stench and push the bedroom door open. The scene that awaits me, it makes my stomach turn.

  Charlie is lying on the bed, completely naked. Her entire body is covered in different shades of bruises. Some are fresh and some look like they’ve been there a while and are starting to turn yellow and green. She hasn’t washed her hair or body in probably a week, maybe longer.

  Why she hasn’t called the police, I don’t know. Taking a tentative step toward her, I call out her name. Her head slowly turns to the side, no it lolls like it takes every bit of strength that she has to look in my direction and open her eyes.

  “Tulip,” she rasps. “You’re so pretty.”

  I blink. It hits me like a freight train, slamming into me. “You’re high,” I whisper.

  She licks her lips and tries to smile, but her lips are so cracked that they start to bleed a little. I’m frozen in my spot, not exactly sure what I can do. I could pick her up, bathe her, clean up her house, then what?

  I can’t call Hutton, Channing, or Exeter. They’re all pregnant. A sick thought slithers through my entire body as it enters my mind. Did Mark do this to her? This isn’t the same Charlie that I saw a few weeks ago get into the passenger seat of his car.

  Reaching into my back pocket, I take out my phone and call the only person that I can think of.

  “You okay?” he asks as his greeting.

  Gulping, I inhale a deep breath. “I need help, for a friend.”

  “Where are you?”

  “Bring Beaumont if he’s around,” I demand. “I’ll text you.”

  Ending the call, I send a text to Ford with Charlie’s address. I know that it’s going to take at least thirty minutes for them to get here.

  Gripping my phone tightly in my hand, I leave Charlie alone just long enough to lock all of the doors. I don’t know if Mark did this, if he has a key to this house, but since the front door was unlocked, hopefully he doesn’t.

  I know that I won’t be able to clean Charlie up myself, she’s at least four inches taller than me, so I go about attempting to bag up some of the trash around me.

  It’s apparent by the way her body has started to change that she hasn’t been eating so it makes me believe even more that Mark has been doing this to her.

  My heart aches as she just lies in bed like a zombie while I move around her. She smells, not just like sex and cum, but like piss and feces too.

  It takes every single part of my strength to stay standing and not sink into a ball on the floor and cry at the sight of my friend.

  My entire body jumps with a small scream that escapes my lips when I hear a knock at the door. Rushing toward the sound, I glance through the peephole, thankful to see that it’s Ford and Beaumont, looking completely confused on the other side.

  Wrenching the door open, I tilt my head back to look in their eyes. “This is my friend Charlie’s place. I’ve been worried about her. She worked at Headlights with me. She went home with my boss Mark one night, and I haven’t really talked to her much since. I called her today and she sounded funny so I kind of demanded that she let me come over,” I say in a rush.

  Ford lifts his chin, looking past me into the house and I watch as his nose wrinkles when he takes in the stench. “What are we walking in to?” he asks.

  “I think he’s been drugging her. I mean, she could have been an addict and I didn’t know it, but I didn’t think that she was,” I explain.

  Beaumont and Ford both brush past me and I lock the door as I hurry behind them. Their bodies come to a rocking halt when they see Charlie lying in the bed, naked and bruised in her own filth.

  “I’m not strong enough to pick her up,” I whisper.

  Ford turns to me, looking at me from over his shoulder. “Call the sheriff, now.”

  “Ford?”

  He shakes his head once. “Do it, Tulip.”

  Without hesitating a moment longer, I do what Ford requests. I don’t leave Charlie though. I expect them to pick her up and bathe her, but they don’t. Instead, they both just stand there. Once I’m off the phone with the police department, I march up to them with a scowl.

  “The sheriff’s deputy needs to see how we found her, Tulip. She’s breathing, she’s alive, we’re watching her, but they need to see the exact condition that we found her in,” Beaumont explains.

  “He did this to her, didn’t he?”

  Beaumont shrugs a shoulder. “I’ve been addicted, but never drugs like this so I can’t say. But it appears as though that’s what’s happened. She’s lucky to have a friend in you, Tulip.”

  “I should have come sooner. I was being selfish,” I whisper.

  Ford snorts. “Known who you were for a while, Tulip Fischer, and never have I heard you were selfish, so you can get that shit out of your head right fuckin’ now,” he snaps. “Charlie’s an adult, the man who did this to her is a sick fucking pervert, so I have no doubt that this was planned. You wouldn’t have been able to stop it.”

  I don’t say anything aloud, but all I can think about is Silas. This is how he wanted me. Dependent on him by any means necessary. How does one little town breed so many sick perverts?

  “Christ,” Deputy Hernandez hisses from behind me.

  I yelp, wondering how he got inside when Beaumont strolls in behind him. I must have been completely zoned out, thinking about Silas and
everything that happened just a few weeks ago. How this has happened to my beautiful friend, too, I don’t know.

  “Charlie,” he says, shaking his head.

  “You know her?” I ask.

  He dips his chin, his mouth pressing against his walkie talkie as he says some codes. He lets out a sigh. “You could say that. Charlie’s my sister,” he murmurs. “She’s done drugs in the past, but I thought that she was done with that shit.”

  He seems resigned. Not surprised, not mad, just resigned. “Even if she did the drugs, those bruises weren’t put there by her own hands and she’s been seeing Mark from the grocery store,” I say, feeling like a tattletale, but Mark isn’t right. Nothing about this is right, either.

  “Don’t worry, I’m going to get to the bottom of this. Thank you for calling me,” he murmurs, dipping his chin then jerking it as if dismissing me.

  “Shouldn’t you have another officer do all of this? Aren’t you a little too close?” Ford asks.

  Hernandez snorts. “Don’t worry about me and my own. Thank you, now the three of you can leave.”

  He turns his back to us as he walks over to the side of his sister’s bed. The three of us reluctantly walk out of the house, but we don’t get into our cars immediately. The ambulance pulls up and we watch as the paramedics rush into the house.

  “This was so weird,” I whisper.

  “No shit,” Beaumont grunts.

  “You gonna be okay the rest of the day?” Ford asks, his gaze focused on me.

  Nodding, I lift my chin a bit. “I’m meeting Hutton at Laurie’s then going home to try and shake off the weirdness of this whole incident.”

  The guys walk me to my car and I thank them for coming over, though it doesn’t seem that they were needed at all. Once I’m in my car, I drive toward Laurie’s house.

  I’m completely lost in thought, my mind unable to stop thinking about Mark and Charlie, about the sheriff’s deputy and everything else that has weirdly happened today.

  Laurie’s house comes into view and I smile as I look up at Hutton. She waves at me as I arrive and as much as I want to push everything away, I can’t. The night ends up with me crying in Hutton’s arms and completely breaking down as I attempt to try on sexy dresses for the fight.