My chest hurt with anxiety. It was getting harder to breathe. He was going to kidnap me and take me back to my hell. How can I get away from him without getting killed?
"Wyatt, I'm not going back to Louisiana. If you leave now, I won't call the cops." My voice was shaky. I wish I could be more confident.
He laughed, shaking his head. "Oh Bec, you're hilarious. You have two options here." I saw him move his hand towards his pocket, but I couldn't look away from his face. He brought a gun in my line of vision, tapping me on the nose with it. "First option, which I believe is the best deal; you come home with me on your own free will, and we pick up like you never left. I won't punish you for what you've done or ask you why you put me through hell for the last five months of my life. We'll forget it all. Or there is option number two; if you don't come home with me, I kill you and pretty boy. You wanted to pretend that you were dead so badly and made everyone back home believe it, so I will do you a favor and do it for you. Honestly I'm ok with either option, but the ball is in your court."
I started crying, knowing there was no way out. I either choose to go back, and eventually be killed, or I just get it over with now.
"Bec, don't cry. You know I hate it when you cry." He said sympathetically, wiping tears from my eyes.
"Kel! I'm home!" I heard Spencer yell through the house.
I sat up quickly to yell for him, but my mouth was quickly covered by Wyatt's hand. "Listen, you're going to do what I tell you or I'll kill him, understand?" He whispered in my ear. I nodded, letting my tears fall over his hand. He brought his other hand up to my head with the gun pressing against my temple.
"Kel, where you at baby?" I heard Spencer getting closer. Wyatt will try to kill him. If I have to leave with Wyatt to save Spence, then that's what I'll do. I can't let him get hurt because of me and my past.
"Kel, are you-" Spencer pushed the bedroom door open and his face turned pale. "Listen, I'll give you whatever you want, just let her go." He held his hands up, his voice was laced with panic.
I heard Wyatt chuckle behind me. "That's where you're mistaken, Mr. Mills. She is what I want. In fact, she belonged to me first. She just got scared and ran off, that's all. Thank you for temporarily taking care of my wife for me, but we really should be going. It's a long drive back to Louisiana."
Spencer's eyes didn't move off of the gun against my head. "Anything you want. You can drain my entire bank account, take my vehicles, I swear I'll never press charges, but please let her go."
Wyatt leaned his head against mine. "Aww Becca, he really doesn't get it. He thinks that money and objects are going to be payment in exchange for our love. Well Hollywood, there is one thing that you can't have in this life, and she's in my arms right now, not yours."
"You're not leaving with her. You'll have to kill me first."
I started crying harder, trying to shake my head. Wyatt sighed. "I'll let you talk Becca. Convince him that we need to be hitting the road."
He moved his hand from my mouth, but kept the gun in place. "Spence...he's going to kill you if I don't leave with him. I can't let you get hurt." I sobbed.
Spencer's eyes glazed over, shaking his head angrily. "No. You're not leaving with him. Tell him Kelsey. Tell him that we're in love and you're not going back with him. He will have to put a bullet through my head to get you out of this place."
"Whoa Bec! How in the hell did you get him so whipped? He sure as hell isn’t pussy whipped, you’re not that good of a fuck. Anyways, you have a very serious choice to make right now. You can either come home with me alive, or I kill you right now and make him watch. Either way, Spencer has already signed his death certificate." Wyatt removed the gun from my skin and held it in the air. "You see, I only brought two bullets. One for Becca and one for Spencer. You have to make a choice right now, what's it going to be?"
I sobbed. I knew what I had to do. I'm sure I'll be dead anyway within a year of going back, so I'm going to save Spencer. "I'll go back as long as you don’t harm Spencer." I said quietly.
Spencer brought his hands to his head, cussing loudly.
"Seriously? Now you’re taking all the fun out of this. If that’s what I need to do to get you home, then fine. This asshole will know how it feels to live without part of his heart, so it’s pretty much the same as dying. Get up, we'll be on our way." Wyatt got off of the bed and I grabbed his hand.
"Can I say goodbye to him first? Please, before we leave? I'll never see him again." I begged.
Wyatt rolled his eyes. "This is the last nice thing I'm doing for you for today. I'll have my gun pointed on him at all times, so don't do anything to piss me off."
I slowly walked over to Spencer, feeling like it was taking years to take those few steps to get to him. His body hung in defeat, he knew that I would be dead soon. When I reached him, I turned around and looked at Wyatt, who had his gun raised and pointed at us both. "Can I hug him?" I asked.
He sighed loudly. "Just get on with it."
Spencer quickly brought me in his arms, leaning his cheek against mine. "I'm not letting you walk out that door, ok? He's not going to hurt you, I promised you that. I love you Kel, I love you so much."
I sobbed against him, knowing this would be the last time I'd ever feel loved, special or of value. He brought his forehead to mine, looking me in the eyes. "You know that, right? I love you Kel, Just you and me forever."
I slowly shook my head. "Goodbye Spencer. I love you." I whispered.
"NO, did you hear me? It's not over Kel!" He leaned down and kissed me hard on the lips before pushing me away and running towards Wyatt, tackling his midsection.
And that's when I heard the gunshots.
Chapter Forty-Two
I was sure that the night I left Wyatt was the scariest moment of my life.
I take that back.
I'd rather relive that night a thousand times over than what I'm feeling right now. Spencer fell to the ground with Wyatt, and the sight made me want to vomit. His body was heavy and not moving. I can't take my eyes off of Spencer, but I know at any minute Wyatt is going to be dragging me out that door.
"Are you guys ok?"
Ryleigh was standing in the doorway, her hand wrapped around a pistol aimed behind me towards Spencer and Wyatt. I watched as she slowly made her way towards the bed out of my view.
"Ryleigh, what's going on? I think Spencer is-"
"Thankful that you're ex-husband is a terrible shot? Yes, that I am." Spencer grumbled as he rolled off of Wyatt.
I was vertical and running towards Spencer before I could catch my breath. I grabbed onto him tightly, crying from relief. "I thought he got you."
Spencer pulled up the sleeve of his shirt, revealing a bloody mark along his muscle. "He did, but it just nicked me."
I hugged him hard before I examined the artificial wound. “I would have done anything to keep you safe. I’m sorry he shot at you.”
“It’s alright, I’m tough. Besides, I’ll have a badass scar.”
How is he being so nonchalant and light hearted right now?
Spencer's eyes looked over to Ryleigh, who was kneeling beside the bed.
"I'm so sorry Kelsey, but I had to...he was going to kill you both." Ryleigh's eyes were sympathetic. I looked past her to the floor. Wyatt was sprawled out, his gun still in his hand.
I started to breath heavily. "Ryleigh, is he..."
"Yes. I'm sorry Kelsey."
I stood up slowly and walked over to where he laid. I put my hand over his heart and felt nothing. His chest was still. He wasn't moving.
It was over.
It was finally over.
I leaned over to his face and gently rubbed my fingers against his cheek. He finally looked at peace. As much as I felt relieved, I felt sad. This was my first love. I wanted to forget about the Wyatt after the accident and remember the Wyatt from before. For as much hell he has put me through, I will always love the Wyatt pre-accident. I sat on the bed and silently cried a mixture
of grief for what he became and relief of what the rest of my life will entail...safety.
"Kel...you ok?" Spencer asked quietly, sitting beside me. He put his arm around my shoulder and I leaned into him. I nodded, then wiped the tears from my face and took a deep breath.
"I'm ok. We need to get you taken care of Spence and-"
"I'm not worried about me, I'm asking about you." He was now standing in front of me, looking nervous.
I knew what he was asking. I looked over at Ryleigh, who was staring at the floor. I walked over to her and wrapped her in an embrace. She put her arms around me and sighed. "I’m sorry I had to do that. Please forgive me."
"There's nothing you need forgiveness for. You saved Spence...thank you."
She smiled sadly. "I saved you, too. Now you don't have to look over your shoulder anymore. You're free."
Free.
The police were at the apartment for over eight hours. The three of us were questioned individually several times by different detectives and policemen. There was one thing we agreed to fib on; we had no idea who Wyatt Patterson was. The police believed quickly that he was a stalker of Spencer's and had every intention of harming him. The bullet from Wyatt's gun was found in the wall of our bedroom, proving that he took the first shot and Ryleigh shot out of self-defense. There would be no charges pressed against her, which was a huge relief to us all. Ryleigh told the investigators that she had come over to the condo to visit since we had been gone for a few days, but I knew the real reason. Ry came over because she was afraid I was still upset about the incident in Texas. Thank God she was there.
With the insane amount of press and paparazzi that were camped outside of our condo, Collin was more than accommodating and offered to let us stay at his house. We took the guest wing of his house, which gave us the privacy we needed. After getting settled in, Collin, Ryleigh, Spencer and myself found ourselves in Collin's living room, explaining to him what happened.
"And you guys have never seen this guy before? Sometimes I notice fans hanging out around the gates of the production lot, but he didn't look familiar?" Collin asked.
Spencer shook his head. "Nope, I've never laid eyes on the guy. The police found evidence of forced entry at the front door, but neither of us noticed."
Collin looked at me carefully. "Do you mind if I ask you what he said to you before Spencer came home?"
"Not at all. He asked where Spencer was, and I told him I didn't know what he was talking about. He held me at gunpoint until Spencer came in. Lucky for us, Ryleigh came over so she could visit with me and heard all the commotion. I had no idea she had a gun permit and carried a handgun with her, but I'm glad she does. She saved Spencer. I'll never be able to repay her." I kept my eyes on Tank as I rubbed his belly while he was lying on my lap. I didn't want to give any emotion away, so I tried to be as nonchalant as I could.
Collin kissed the side of Ryleigh's head. "She saved you both. Ryleigh, you never cease to amaze me."
She gave him a small smile and leaned into him. Spencer put his arm around me and started rubbing Tank's head. "I'm thankful for what Ryleigh did for us today too." He said quietly.
Collin stood up off the couch and held his hand out of Ryleigh. "You coming to bed? I'm sure you’re exhausted baby."
She looked at his outstretch hand before answering. "I'll be up in a few."
We told Collin goodnight and watched him disappear up the steps. Once we heard the bedroom door shut, Ryleigh turned towards us. "Thanks for not telling Collin everything." she whispered.
"I think you need to answer some questions for me though." I said.
She looked at Spencer and shrugged. "I have to tell her."
He nodded. "I know."
"You only know part of my story, Kelsey. I was relocated to Vancouver after I was put in witness protection, that is true. The reason I was sent to Vancouver is because Marcus is Spencer's cousin." She started to explain.
"I know, I found out while we were in Texas. But why would he send you to Spencer?" I asked.
"Because he knew that Spence would look after me. When I was sent here, I wasn't in very good shape. I've actually been here for almost two years, and it took me a while to get on my feet. Spencer stopped by once a week to make sure I was ok. I was deeply depressed, and I refused to get help. One day Spencer finally got tired of it and told me I needed to talk to Collin about an assistant’s job. It was a bumpy road, to say the least, but it helped pull me out of my funk. Spencer saved my life. I was wasting my life away with cheap vodka and holding myself up in a tiny piece of shit apartment. He forced me to go out and live. I can't ever repay him enough for that.
"I was put into protection because of my job. Marcus was my partner, we were both in the FBI. We did a lot of undercover work, which I fit well into because I look so young. Long story short, I was undercover for a year and my cover was blown. I was taken out to a large wooded area and nearly beaten to death. The man who had that job assigned to him was my boyfriend’s brother. I had an actual relationship for the entire time I was undercover. His brother beat me to inches from death, then let my boyfriend alone to ‘finish’ me off. He took my phone and called Marcus and told him everything after his brother left. He didn’t lay a finger on me, instead he called for help. I was in and out of consciousness the entire time. When I woke up, I was in ICU. After I recovered from my physical wounds and did a stint in the same rehab facility you did, Marcus told me that I had no choice but to go into a protection program, or people would kill me and the man who spared my life. I didn’t care about what happened to me, but I couldn’t let the love of my life get hurt in any way. Marcus asked Spencer if I could come to Vancouver, and here I am."
My mouth hung open. Ryleigh...my best friend Ryleigh was in the FBI? "That's how you knew where to shoot Wyatt." I said quietly.
She nodded. "I hated killing people during my job, but sometimes it was necessary...and today it was definitely necessary. Someone in that room was going to die, and I’d be damned if it was going to be you or Spence."
There was so much information to take in. This day has been more than overwhelming. "I think I'm going to go to bed, it's been a long day." I pushed Tank off my lap and walked towards the steps.
"Kels, wait..." Ryleigh ran over to me and pulled me towards the kitchen. "Spencer go to bed. She'll be up in a minute. I need to talk to her." She told him.
He didn't argue. She turned back to me after he was upstairs. "I know it's a lot to take in, but please don't let it affect your relationship with Spencer. He told me that you were upset in Texas after finding out about Marcus, and I understand why you would be upset. He only kept the secrets to protect me, I swear. He didn't know anything about your situation until the day you freaked out in the trailer. Remember the night that he came to the condo and asked you to come back to work? You were going to walk him down to the lobby but I said I would do it? I told him that night that Marcus sent you. He didn't know before that, I swear. He fell in love with you before he knew anything, so his love isn't out of sympathy, it's real. I just thought you should know that."
I hugged her. "Thank you. You really are my best friend Ryleigh. I don't know what I would do without you."
I felt her smile against my cheek. "Ditto Kels."
“So wait…Collin isn’t the love of your life?” I asked hesitantly. I was surprised when she gave someone else that title a few minutes ago.
She pulled away and smiled sadly. “I love Collin with all my heart. There was just someone else who claimed it first. I miss him every single day, but it will never be what it was. I’ve learned that sometimes you aren’t meant to be with your soulmate, that there is actually someone better for you out there. That’s a story for another day.”
That broke my heart. Spencer is the love of my life, and I couldn’t imagine not being with him. “I’m sorry Ry.”
She nudged my shoulder with hers as we made our way upstairs. “It’s fine. I’m happy, Kelsey. Collin was such a bri
ght spot in a dark time of my life. Even though our relationship is very young, he is my other half. I’m almost positive that I couldn’t go on if I lost him.”
“I’m pretty sure he couldn’t live without you either.” I smiled.
She winked. “I know he couldn’t.”
Spencer was undressing when I walked into the bedroom. This was the first moment we've had alone since this afternoon and I finally started feeling the emotions from the day.
His green eyes narrowed in on me after he pulled his shirt over his head. "You ok?"
I looked at the bandage wrapped around his upper arm and shook my head. He walked over to me and pulled me against him. "It's alright, let it out."
I started crying harder than I ever have before. I wanted him to know every thought that has been plaguing my mind since this afternoon. "You could have died Spencer. He shot at you. I was trying to protect you. I couldn't live with myself if you would have gotten hurt. I was more scared when I heard the gunshot than when I left Louisiana. That was the single worst moment in my life. Then after it was over, you acted like it was no big deal! How can you be so calm about this?"
He ran his fingers through my hair and held me close against his bare chest. "I’m not calm about this, not one bit. But I had to hold myself together for you and in front of the cops. If I would have led on how terrified I was, the cops would have dug deeper. It was the worst moment of my life too. I couldn't let you walk out with him, I would have died first.” He took a deep breath and kiss the top of my head. “But it's alright, stop crying. We're both ok and he's gone. It's over. He can't and won't hurt you anymore." He said in a hushed voice.
Never Look Back (Counting Stars Book 1) Page 19