Saving Reli

by Brooke Summers

  She smiles shyly at my statement. I pull her toward me and lie her down onto the bed. She tenses. “We’re going back to sleep. I’m staying here with you. You’re safe,” I tell her.

  “I know. I trust you, John; you make me feel safe,” she tells me and I feel fucking ten feet tall. I’m fucking over the moon that she trusts me and that she’s safe around me.

  I pull her closer to my body, her back against my front. “Sleep, baby girl.”

  It takes her a few minutes, but soon she gives me all of her weight as she goes to sleep. It takes me a while after that for me to find it.

  There's a knock on my office door and I look up just as Zeke opens it and walks in. "Boss, I've finally found something,” he tells me, his expression unreadable and I wait for him to say whatever the hell he’s found out. I know that it has to do with Reli.

  "I found Paul Maine's real will. The one that Talia has is either a forgery or one that he had to appease his wife. This one is signed and dated two weeks before his death. It leaves everything to Yoreli, I mean everything. His entire estate, his business, his cars. Everything."

  I stare at him in disbelief. Everything is Reli's? How the hell was this not discovered before now? "Where did you find this?"

  "It took some digging, but Paul filed this two days before he died. Whoever knew about this will has gone to extreme lengths to keep it hidden. I'm telling you, boss, whoever it is, they're crazy smart." He sounds impressed. I'm not. I'm fucking seething. “Also, boss, in the will it's stipulated that Reli was to get an allowance from her inheritance each month."

  My jaw clenches as I realize what Zeke is telling me. "How much?" How much has that fucking bitch been stealing from Reli?

  "Ten thousand dollars a month."

  I blow out a low whistle. Fucking hell. “She’s taken over two hundred and fifty thousand dollars from Reli!”

  Zeke nods. “Yeah, there’s also a stipulation that says that Talia will inherit three million along with a house in New York as long as she takes care of Yoreli until she’s eighteen.”

  Bingo. This is a way to ensure that fucking bitch doesn’t get anything. “Call Tate; I want to know if we can have this bitch done for embezzlement.”

  He grins. “I’m sure that she can be. She’ll be pissed to learn that she won’t be getting any of Paul’s money.”

  “It’s not enough, but it’ll have to do.” She deserves a hell of a lot more than prison and no money. I’ll ensure that I hire the best damn attorney so that bitch can’t worm her way out of a conviction.

  “I’ll call Tate and get the ball set in motion. I’m also working on finding out who she was planning on selling her to.”

  “Keep on it. There’s something we’re missing. There has to be.” We’re missing what connects Talia and whoever wants Reli. I have a sickening feeling about this shit.

  Twenty minutes later and Zeke strolls into my office with a smile on his face. “I gave Tate all the evidence I’ve uncovered including the will and he agrees with us. Talia Maine will be indicted with embezzling.”

  Fuck yes.

  “He’s agreed to leave it until tomorrow.”

  I frown; why the hell is he leaving it?

  Zeke holds his hand up to halt my explosion. “I was thinking that it could help Yoreli heal if she confronted Talia and watched her be brought away in cuffs.”

  That’s actually a fucking good idea. “We’ll have the cops on standby, but I agree. It could really help her.” If it doesn’t, then I’ll be there to pick up the pieces and help her through it.

  He grins. “I’ll set it all up. We’re going to make sure that she’s safe, boss,” he promises.

  “Get my brothers to be there tomorrow too. Just in case things go south.”

  He nods. “I’m on it. You go home to Yoreli. She’ll be finished with the doctor soon.”

  I glance at the clock and see that he’s right; it’s almost three-forty-five. I get to my feet. “If you need me, call.”

  “Don’t worry boss; we’ve got this. Everything will be set in motion. That fucking bitch isn’t going to know what’s hit her.” He’s got his shit eating grin on his face and I know that he’s not going to stop until he finds out who the buyer is.

  Fifteen

  Reli

  "You ready?" John asks.

  I nod. I’m nervous, but I know that John is going to be there. Every day for the past two months he has shown me more compassion than I have ever felt, more love than I believed I deserved, and he's shown me what happiness truly is.

  He walks up to me, his arm snaking around my waist. "You have nightmares due to this bitch. There's no way she's getting away with what she's done." He always seems to know just what I’m thinking or feeling.

  My body begins to shake. I don't want to go back to that place.

  "Baby girl, do you trust me?" he asks, and there’s a slight hesitant tone to his voice.

  “Yes," I tell him instantly. I do trust him; he's been my absolute rock. I think I love him, but I'm not sure if what I'm feeling is love or gratitude. There’s no way I couldn’t trust him; he’s an honorable man.

  "I'm not going to let her hurt you. I'd kill her before she even tries anything." The anger in his voice makes me jump. "Shh, Reli, it's okay." He kisses the top of my head. "It's going to be okay, you'll see,” he promises me and if I’ve learned anything in these past few weeks is that he really does keep his promises.

  "I know, but I'm still scared."

  A smile forms on his lips; he's hiding something, I can tell by the twinkle in his eye. "Of course you are, after everything that woman put you through I'd be surprised if you weren't. But I'm going to be with you every step of the way." His lips softly graze mine, he’s so soft with me, so loving and gentle.

  "Lance is waiting," he mutters, taking my hand.

  He presses the doorbell and I stand behind him, not wanting the first thing Talia sees to be me. She's here; her car is parked in the driveway. My fear is rising and if it weren't for John, I'd be on the ground sobbing. He reaches his hand behind him and I grab a hold of it, clutching it for dear life. The door opens and I press closer to John's back.

  "You!" It's an accusation, "What the hell are you doing here?" Talia's anger makes me flinch, it brings back memories of when she first began hurting me.

  The front door slams shut and I look up to see Zella barreling toward me. Her eyes narrowed and her lips pursed; she’s mad. “Anna!” she yells, pushing past me toward the stairs.

  I’m jolted and the glass I was holding slips out of my hand, smashing to the floor. I stare at the broken pieces on the ground. Damn, that was the last juice.

  "Yoreli!" The shrill voice of Talia has me rolling my eyes; what's wrong with her now? Lately her panties have been in a bunch about something. She's been different; she no longer talks to me as though I'm a human being. Every time she does talk to me, it's short and demanding. Mostly to do cleaning for her.

  Talia comes to a halt in the hall; she’s glaring at me. She’s dressed in a robe and a pair of heels. “Clean this mess up.” She shakes her head in disgust. “Then go to bed.”

  I frown. “Bed? Talia, it’s not even seven. I’ve not had dinner.”

  She takes a step toward me, her look, one of hatred and loathing “I told you to clean it up and go to bed. Are you deaf?”

  “No, but it was an accident.”

  Her fingers go to my throat; they tighten, squeezing the air out of my lungs as she does. “You are not to have dinner with us ever again. If you want food, then you’ll eat scraps. You are not family; you are my servant. Do you understand?” she says through clenched teeth.

  I struggle to breathe as black spots dance in my eyes but I manage to nod, letting her know that I understand.

  She releases me, throwing me to the floor as she does. “Good, now clear this up and get out of my sight.”

  I scramble onto my knees and begin picking up the pieces of glass. Her foot presses down on my hand and I ye
lp in pain; the glass pressing against my skin, cutting into it.

  “You are my servant, Yoreli. Anything I want, you will do. I mean anything.” She lifts her foot and I turn my hand to see the blood seeping from the cuts.

  I frown as she grabs me by my hair and pulls me toward the kitchen, her heels clinking against the floor. Once we’re in the kitchen, she slams the door closed and locks it behind her. My mouth dries as I wait for her to explain what’s going on. “Yoreli, since your father has died, I have needs that I need satisfied.”

  I frown; what the hell is she talking about?

  She takes off her robe and throws it to the floor, leaving her standing in only her heels. “Yoreli, you will give me the pleasure that I seek. If you don’t…” She leaves the words hanging in the air as she walks toward the counter and her fingers skim the knife. “You’ll face the consequences.”

  I gulp; she can’t be serious.

  “On your knees, Yoreli,” she instructs and I shake my head. This isn’t happening. I’m not doing this. “Yoreli!” she yells and grabs the knife.

  “Please, don’t,” I beg but she laughs. “Talia, please.”

  “You want to live here, you want to stay under this roof, then you’ll do as I say,” she tells me as she brings the knife past my face and towards my breast.

  “Talia.” I’m shaking; she’s not going to hurt me, is she?

  “On your knees, Yoreli,” she demands but I can’t. I’m frozen to the spot.

  I scream out as she slices my skin under my breast. I can feel wetness against my top. I put my hand to it, wiping down. I look at my hand; blood. “Please, Talia, no!”

  “Yoreli, I’ll only say it one more time. On your knees. Now.”

  I sink to my knees, tears streaming down my face as she lifts her right leg and rests it against the chair. Her vagina is just inches from my mouth.

  “Pleasure me, Yoreli.” She reaches for my head and brings my lips to her pussy. “Use your tongue,” she instructs, “Fuck me,” she demands, her other hand still holds the knife.

  I’m scared that if I don’t do as she asks then she’ll hurt me again. I don’t see any way out of this. I flick my tongue out and touch her vagina. I cringe in disgust as she moans loudly.

  “More…” She cries as once again I use my tongue to do as she asks.

  “I’m here to see you, now let me in.” His voice pulls me from my memories. His hand squeezes mine and pulls me around so that I’m face to face with Talia.

  She’s dressed in her smart suit jacket, silky beige blouse, along with a tight pencil skirt. Her feet are bare and her hair is tied up in a knot on top of her head. “Well, well, well. Look what the cat dragged in,” she snarls at me, rage flashing through her eyes. She’s not changed.

  John’s arm goes around my shoulder and he holds me tight against him as we walk into the house. “Where’s the living room, baby girl?”

  Having him here with me has made me feel as though I can conquer the world. “This way,” I mutter, tugging his hand and walking towards the living room.

  “You’re back?” Zella gasps as John and I enter the room. She’s sitting in her pajamas eating chips.

  “How dare you barge into my house?” Talia yells. I spin around, my back pressed against John’s chest; he holds onto my waist and I’m grateful. Looking at Talia, I see that she’s standing in the doorway with her hands on her hips. “You bitch!” she spits at me.

  “How about you sit your ass down and shut the fuck up?” His anger is vibrating off him. “I know what you’ve done, so you’re going to sit down and listen to every word I have to say.”

  She cocks her hip and glares at him. “And if I don’t?” she questions.

  “Then the cops will be here.” She continues to glare at him but walks over to the couch and sits beside Zella.

  “What’s going on?” Anna asks, walking into the living room; she too is dressed in her pajamas. Seems they’re all having a lazy day.

  “This man has barged into our home and is demanding I listen to him.” Talia acts as though she’s the injured party.

  “What? Call the cops,” Anna cries.

  John laughs. “Oh, please do.”

  “Sit down, Anna; let him say whatever it is he’s dying to say. Then he can leave us be and take the trash out with him.”

  I place my hand on John’s as his body shakes. He’s pissed, but I don’t want him to do anything he’ll regret.

  “Ms. Maine,” John says through clenched teeth. “I’ve seen the bruises on Yoreli. I’ve seen the scars that you have inflicted on her. Not to mention all the emotional scars that she has due to your abuse.”

  “Abuse!” Talia yells. “I gave that good-for-nothing scrounger a roof over her head.”

  “Yes, abuse,” John says calmly. “I’ve done some digging on you. You’ve been living this life of luxury when it’s not your life to be living.”

  I watch as Talia’s eyes widen before narrowing dangerously. “You, this is all because of you?” she accuses him, but I have no idea what she’s talking about. What has John done?

  “Of course; you didn’t think that you’d get away with it forever, did you?”

  I’m missing something. “What?”

  “Reli, your father died leaving Talia with a house in New York, but all his money, this house, and everything else he owned was left to you and only you. She has been spending your money as though it’s her own. That has now stopped; she no longer has that power.”

  “It was money I was owed.” Talia rises to her feet, anger pouring out of her. “I had to have her in my house, with my girls.”

  “She had every right to be here. This is her house, it was on the conditions of you receiving your stipend along with a house in New York. You were to be Yoreli’s guardian.” She rolls her eyes, unimpressed by his words. “I will not get you arrested for the abuse of Yoreli. It would be her word against yours, and I would never put her through that; the fear of being branded a liar.”

  I suck in a sharp breath; he never said this to me. I wouldn’t ever say anything to the police. I couldn’t. She’d tell them I enjoyed it, that I wanted it. They’d believe her.

  Talia has a triumphant smirk on her face.

  I turn in John’s arms and see that he too has a smirk, clearly saying that he’s won this. “But you will, however, be charged with grand larceny. You also didn’t carry out the full terms of the will. You were to have Yoreli in your care until her eighteenth birthday and you didn’t, so you and your daughters are no longer allowed to live here. You have one hour to remove your shit before I call men in to remove it for you.”

  I gasp. “Is this for real?”

  He glances down at me. “Yes, baby girl. She hurt you and now I’m going to hurt her.”

  “You can’t do this!” Talia yells.

  There’s a knock at the door and John squeezes my shoulders. “Reli, please let the officers in?” he asks and I nod.

  “What is so special about her?” Talia’s voice follows me out of the living room and into the hall.

  “She is fucking amazing. No matter how hard you tried to break her it didn’t work.” He has me on such a pedestal that I’m not sure if I’ll ever live up to it. The thought makes fear crawl into my belly. Will things change if he finds out just how broken I really am?

  I open the door and two officers enter the house. I point toward the living room and they walk in. I stay back, not wanting to cause any more trouble. I never expected John to want to get her into trouble. I was happy knowing that I never had to come back here with her.

  An hour later, Talia’s still yelling and throwing things in bags while the girls cry. I walk over to the stairs and sit down. It doesn’t take long for the officers to walk out of the living room with Talia in handcuffs. Zella and Anna have tears streaming down their faces as they follow behind the officers. John strolls over to me with a satisfied look, those green eyes of his filled with happiness. He reaches for me, pulling me into his
arms. “Why do you look so glum?”

  I shrug. “I never wanted this. All I had hoped was that I could move on and never have to face her again.”

  “I know. I, however, couldn’t sit back and allow her to get away with everything she’s done. This was my way of ensuring that she’ll never have the chance to hurt you again.” My eyes widen as I take everything he’s saying in.

  “Thank you,” I whisper as I wrap my arms around him. “Are you really going to throw the girls out?”

  He kisses the top of my head. “Yeah, baby girl, they’re leaving. It’s up to you what you want to do with this house.”

  I frown. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean,” he says, placing a soft kiss against my lips. “We can move in here together and I’ll sell my house, or you could rent it.”

  I’m in shock. “I’m not sure. Do I have to decide now?”

  He shakes his head, placing a kiss against my forehead. “No, baby girl, you don’t.”

  Thank God. Today has been too much to deal with. I’m grateful that I don’t have to worry about Talia anymore. I can breathe easier.

  Sixteen

  John

  Two Weeks Later

  “Tell me you know something!” I demand as I walk into Zeke’s office. It’s been two weeks since Talia let slip that Havers isn’t willing to leave Reli alone. He still wants her and I’m not letting that happen.

  “Boss, I’m sorry, but I have no idea who Havers is. There’s too many unknown variables.”

  Fuck.

  “Yo,” Cage says as he walks in behind me. “What’s wrong?”

  “We’re trying to find out who the fuck wants to buy Yoreli.” Zeke growls, “Havers is a mystery.”