by Randa Lynn
“Who? I’m on my way. Fuck, I’m on my way, baby. Who is there?” Wes panics on the other end.
I’ve never been more terrified than I am at this exact moment. I’m unable to go anywhere, to do anything. I can’t think, I can’t move, I can’t even breathe.
“Baby, answer me!” he screams.
“R-Ryan,” I choke out. “He’s so…mad.”
“I’ll be there soon, baby. Stay calm. I won’t let that fucker hurt you again.” I hear him say something else, but all I can make out is the violent thrums of my heart.
Boom! The bathroom door barrels onto the floor. “Lenora, get the fuck out here, now!” he roars.
His designer dress shoes click on the tile floor. Each click louder than the last, each step closer than the one before. I see his shadow as he stops in front of the closet door, taunting me. “Lenora, come out. I know you’re in there. It’s time I show you just how fucking much I own you. I’ll always own you.”
I try to calm my nerves, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of knowing I’m completely terrified. I refuse to let him have that power over me any longer. I am not a ploy to help enhance his sick and twisted ways.
I won’t let him get to me.
I won’t let him bury me.
Fight. Fight. Fight.
●●●●●
WES
I’ve never felt more helpless. That sorry piece of shit is at my girl’s house threatening her, and I’m not there. I’m not fucking there to help her!
“Cops are on their way, bro.” Cameron tries to calm me down from the passenger seat. Unable to form a reply, I just nod.
“He’s going to hurt me.” I’ll be mother fucking damned. If he lays a hand on her I will gut him, fucking rip his insides out and feed them to him.
I turn on two wheels onto Lenni’s road and drive like hell. My knuckles turn white as I grip the steering wheel, my pulse thrums angrily through my eardrums.
Once I make it around the corner, I barrel down her driveway, coming to a stop in front of her lake house. Two vehicles are in the driveway; Lenni’s jeep and one I’ve never seen before. Mother fucking Ryan.
I get out of my truck and eye the unfamiliar black car as I rush by. I run as fast as I can, but everything feels as though it’s in slow motion. My only focus right now is finding Lenni, getting Ryan the fuck away from her, and making sure she’s okay. I rush into the living room, hoping to find her. Instead, I see shattered glass all on the floor, a frame broken to bits right beside it. I don’t have time to look, I just need to get to my girl.
“Lenni!” I yell, searching in the front of the house. Nothing.
I go to check the extra bedrooms when I hear her faint cries come from the back of the house. I run down the hallway as fast as I can and see the bedroom door in shards on the floor.
FUCK!
As I barge into the bedroom, my body stills.
My whole fucking world stops. All the life sucked out of me in one instant.
Lenni is pinned down on her bed, naked, thrashing around trying to break free. Ryan is on top of her with one hand around her throat while his other hand fumbles with his jeans.
Pure rage boils within my veins, coursing throughout my body, causing me to instantly react. “Not today, mother fucker. Not to-fucking-day!” I slam into him, sending him soaring into the dresser. The moment he hits the floor I’m on top of him. I slam my fists into his face with every ounce of strength I’ve got.
Right, left, right, left.
I’ve got one thought, kill this sorry piece of shit for hurting my girl.
Blood splatters from his face, coating my hand in his warm crimson. The smell of copper fills my senses, but it makes no fuck of a difference to me. I continue barreling into him, releasing my fury into his pretty boy face with each brutal blow.
Adrenaline pumps through my body, each blow seeming a little more powerful than the last. “You think you can come to my town, mess with my girl and get away with it? That’s my fucking woman, and you don’t touch her, Goddammit!” I raise my fist and slam it directly into his jaw, knocking him out cold. But I’m not done with him yet.
“Wes, man, cops are here!” Cameron yells as he grabs my arm in mid-swing.
“I don’t give a fuck. I’m about to finish this mother fucker,” I growl.
“Get the fuck up now before I knock your ass out right along with him. Lenni is watching this shit unfold. She’s already scared shitless, go check on her instead of barreling into this piece of shit!” he yells.
I look down at Ryan, who’s still lying unconscious underneath me. I grab a hold of his shirt, lifting him up closer to me. He might be knocked out, but I sure as fuck hope he can hear what I have to say. “Stay the fuck away from her. Next time you’ll be carried out in a body bag.”
I get up and wipe my hands on my jeans. When I lock eyes with Lenni, my heart stops, breaking in two. Tears fall from her swollen eyes, staining her cheeks. She’s curled up against the headboard with a sheet covering her bare body. Cops rush in, but I tune them out. My only concern is checking on my girl.
I rush over to her, making sure her body is still covered, and scoop her up. I cradle her in my arms. “Baby, look at me,” I whisper. “Look at me, Len.”
Fear still courses through her trembling body. Through tear soaked lashes, she looks at me. “You saved me,” she says in a feather light voice.
I place a lingering kiss on her forehead, and gently grab her hands, examining the fight wounds. I could have fucking lost her tonight had she not called me. I could have lost her tonight at the hands of the piece of shit who already stole four years of her life. That mother fucker isn’t a man, he’s a coward. Cowards prey on those smaller than them, ripping apart innocent people’s lives.
“It’s okay, baby. I’m here. He won’t hurt you again,” I reassure her as I lightly rub my hand in circles on her back.
“Promise you won’t leave me,” she stutters, tears falling from her beautiful eyes.
“I promise. I’m here, baby.”
Uncontrollable sobs break free, ripping through her chest in a mayhem of unbridled emotion.
I’m at a loss as to what to do. So I just sit, holding one-half of my entire world in my arms as she falls apart.
Chapter 21
WES
It’s been three days since Lenni was attacked by Ryan. Three fucking days since that bastard almost raped her. Cops have been by non-stop trying to question her and get all the information they can. She’s managed to tell them everything she could remember, but they are persistent and won’t leave her alone. I finally told them I’d had enough and they needed to leave. Having to relive it every time she recounted what happened upset her even worse.
I was questioned, too. Apparently my beating the shit out of him was frowned upon. What the hell did they expect me to do? Sit back and watch the sorry bastard hurt my girl while I twiddled my thumbs waiting on their asses? I think the fuck not. Not when he was hurting Lenni. Fuck them and their political correctness.
Lenni ended up fracturing her wrist when she fought back against Ryan. The swelling has gone down a bit on her face, but the bruise is still pretty nasty. Her knuckles are bruised and a little cut up from the impact of her hitting him. I’m so damn proud of her for fighting back, but every time I see her bruises and see the cuts, I get pissed off all over again. I’m pissed at myself because I wasn’t there at the beginning. I’m fucking furious that Ryan had the audacity to show up and hurt my woman; hurt the sweetest woman to ever walk this earth. She doesn’t deserve it. She dealt with his shit for four years, but he couldn’t stop. No, it wasn’t enough to degrade Lenni while she was in a relationship with him. He had to come and completely blow her world apart this time, destroying every ounce of strength she’s built up. I’m fucking scared that I won’t be able to put the pieces back together.
“Daddy, what happened?” Elli asks, walking into the living room holding Thunder. She hasn’t let that thing out of
her sight since Lenni sent it to her.
I wrap my little girl in my arms and sit on the couch. We sit in silence for a brief moment while I think of the right words to say. “Lenni was just in an accident, Scooter. She is okay, just a little sore and bruised up. You’ll just have to help Daddy make her feel better.” I give her a kiss on her head. “Is it okay if Miss Lenni stays here with us for a little while?”
She looks up at me through sleepy eyes. “Yes sir.” She fiddles with Thunder a few seconds then looks back up at me. “But, Daddy?”
“Yeah, Scooter?”
“Why can’t she stay with us forever? I don’t want her to have to go home. I want her to be here and tell me the bedtime stories every night.”
My heart drops down into my stomach. Dammit, I don’t want her to leave either. I never want her to leave, not after the other night.
“You don’t like Daddy’s bedtime stories?” I joke, ruffling her hair.
She giggles into my chest. “Uh huh, but Miss Lenni gets excited when she tells them. And she tells me one day I’ll find my prince like she did when she found you!” Her smile spreads as wide as her face, and mine does the same.
“Did she now?” I tease. “Why don’t you go lay down, and I’ll come tuck you in in a few minutes.”
She gives me a kiss. “Bear squeeze, please, Daddy.” I give her a bear squeeze and she returns with her little bear cub squeeze. Before pattering off down the hall to her bedroom.
I sit there for a few minutes just thinking about all the shit that has happened the past couple of days. I knew Ryan was crazy, because no real man would ever lay his hands on a woman, but I never fucking thought he’d show up in Fredricks and hurt her.
Thank fuck he’s in jail. Apparently, while the detectives were searching his home and office they found evidence of a Ponzi scheme and embezzlement. Mr. Hastings is probably enjoying a little drop the soap action. I hope he’s loving the shit out of that. Fucker.
After I pick up the toys Elli scattered and throw them in the toy box I make my way to Elli’s room. I’m too late. She’s asleep and has Thunder wrapped up in her arms under her Frozen covers Lenni bought her. I lean against the door frame and just watch her for a few minutes. I loved doing this when she was a baby, and admittedly, I don’t do it nearly enough anymore.
I hear a knock on the back door and rush to answer it, not wanting Elli to wake up. Cameron and Amber are standing at my back door. “Couldn’t have called first?” I ask.
Amber slides past me looking for Lenni. “Is she asleep?”
“I don’t know,” I reply.
We walk into the kitchen and I grab a beer and offer one to Amber and Cam. Amber declines while Cam takes one. The atmosphere changes to extremely heavy as Amber eyes the police report sitting on the kitchen counter. “How is she today?” she asks seriously.
I don’t really know how to answer that question. How is she? How should someone be who was attacked and nearly fucking raped? “As good as she can be, I reckon. She’s being strong as hell, I know that much.”
I pick at the label on my bottle nervously. I hate talking about it. The image of my girl naked while Ryan was on top of her is enough to make my stomach roll with sickness. I still feel guilty I wasn’t there. I feel guilty that I didn’t stop him before he laid a hand on her. I hate it got that far. I hate him. I fucking hate him for making all the progress Lenni has worked so hard to gain crumble in an instant. Hate him for ever having a place in her life. I hate him for making her feel like she was never good enough. Because she is good enough. She’s more than good enough. She’s fucking everything good in my life, and I’m so damn glad she’s mine. Mine. Yeah, she’s fucking mine, and I’m never letting her go.
Amber walks over to me, and without warning, wraps me in a hug. I hesitantly bring my arms around and give her a light hug in return. “Thank you,” she says, pulling away from me. The loud, obnoxious Amber I’ve come to know is gone, replaced with this version. I’m a little terrified by her, she’s so…serious.
“For what?” I ask, confused.
She rolls her eyes. “For protecting her, you dumbass. There’s no telling what would have happened had you not stopped him. I’ve known Ryan for years. He’s first class crazy.”
I shiver at the honesty. I know he is. The look on his face when I pummeled into him is ingrained in my memory. He looked like a man with nothing to lose, and when you think you’ve lost everything, you become desperate. You become irrational. But that sorry bastard decided to take out his fury on the wrong woman.
“I’m serious, Wes. I was a little weary when Len first fell for you. You both come from completely different worlds, but she’s damn lucky to have you.” She turns to walk to the bedroom where Lenni is lying down. “Now, if you boys will excuse me, I’ve got my friend to check on.”
●●●●●
“So, how is everything? Besides the obvious…” Cam asks, tipping back the last of his beer.
I shuffle over to the fold-out chairs and sit down in one, contemplating how to answer his question. “Ah, man,” I nurse my beer a little, “up until the other night it was fucking great, man. She’s amazing.”
Cameron flashes me a knowing smile. Sitting down in a chair he leans up towards me. “You, my man, are fucking pussy whipped!”
I nod my head in agreement. “I can’t deny that. That girl, man. She’s just… everything to me.”
Rearing his head back in laughter. “Never thought I’d see the day.”
“What the hell are you talking about, Walker?”
“Well, for one, when Vanessa up and left, you fucking dug yourself into a hole. I never thought you’d get out. The bitch did a number on you, man.”
Hearing her name used to be like nails on a chalkboard. I cringed anytime it was brought up. She was the bane of my existence. Now, I feel nothing for her. No hate, no anger, sadness, nothing. I don’t even hate her for what she did to Elli, because the only thing she did was do us all a favor.
I look back on what we had, and I realize one thing—it was comfortable. That’s all our relationship ever was. Yeah, I once loved her, but what I felt for Vanessa doesn’t come close to what I feel for Lenni. That girl barged into my life when I wasn’t looking, I fell for her when I didn’t want to, and now I’d do anything to keep her.
“And for two, I never thought you’d let someone get close to Elli,” he adds.
“Yeah, Lenni is the polar opposite of Vanessa, thank fuck. But Lenni, man, she took to Elli the second she met her. Elli loves her.” I breathe out a sigh of air. “But change of subject. What’s up with you and Amber? You’ve never fucked a girl more than once, but here you are with my girl’s best friend…again.” I give an impish grin.
He tilts his head back and grunts out, “Fuuuuuck me. That girl. She’s a damn animal.”
I shake my head at his brutal honesty. He’s never been one to keep what happens in the bedroom in the bedroom. “Yeah, I think you’ve met your match with that one. She’s a feisty little Barbie.”
“Dude, you have no mother fucking idea. I’d become a one woman man for her, but she’s dead set on remaining fuck buddies. Don’t get me wrong, I am not complaining because I love her Sophia.”
“Sophia?”
He looks at me with a shit-eating grin. “Ha! Since you asked. Sophia is what she calls her puss—“
“Yep! That’s it. Change of fucking subject.” I regret I ever asked who Sophia was.
Chapter 22
LENNI
“You little bitch. I will fucking kill you for opening your mouth to anyone. I’m going to fuck you real good while you squirm underneath me, then I’m going to wrap my hands around your throat until I feel you stop gasping for air.”
The memory of the last words Ryan spoke to me causes me to cringe in disgust and shiver in terror. I can still smell the liquor oozing from his breath, I can see the cold irises that made up his usual blue eyes. When I sleep, his evil laugh haunts me. I just want him
erased from my memory and be obsolete in my future.
I’m at a crossroads. But no matter which path I choose, they both lead to utter destruction. There is nothing I want more than to run to Wes and Elli and never let them go. But that’s the selfish part of me talking. Oh, how I want to be selfish right now, but I can’t. Not at the expense of them.
I pull the cover up over my shoulders and curl up in a ball in Wes’s bed. He’s been by my side every second since the attack. He’s tried talking to me, tried taking my mind off of everything, but his efforts are useless. I can’t physically talk about it, and, as much as I don’t want to think about what happened, that’s all that’s on my mind.
I’m trying to suppress the memories, but my efforts are pointless. My guilt is far too strong. If I had been home with someone else what would have happened to them? Wes? Elli? Amber? Anyone…
All I want to do right now is protect the two people who matter most—Elli and Wes. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if Ryan ever hurt them simply because they were in the same vicinity if he ever came back to hurt me, again.
I won’t do it, I love them too much to subject them to that kind of hurt or pain.
This time, I’ll be the one breaking my own heart.
I hear a light tap on the door. “Come in,” I squeak out.
When it opens, Amber pops her head in and asks, “Care for a little company?”
“Sure,” I reply.
“How you feeling?” she asks while walking over to the bed.
I give a sad smile. “I hurt. Mentally and physically.”
She comes to lay down on the bed beside me. She crosses her legs at the ankles and watches the spin of the ceiling fan. “Len, don’t do this. Not again.”
I take a deep breath as tears seep from my eyes. Each tear is another piece of my heart that is breaking. “I just don’t know, Am.”
“Lenni,” Amber says quietly, “I know he hurt you, again, but please, please don’t let him ruin you. I don’t want to see you back in that dark place. You’ve worked too hard to get to where you are. You’ve got so much in Wes and Elli. I’ve never seen you this happy.”