by B. B. Reid
He quickly approached me with his hand reached out as if he would grab me. “Before you go –
“Come here, Lake.” Dash appeared behind me and was standing near the men’s bathroom. The look he gave Mr. Martin was chilling. I walked over to him and he grabbed my hand. I was secretly grateful for his sudden appearance. I didn’t like the vibes I was getting from him.
“I was only talking to her, young man.”
“Yeah? Well you’re done talking.”
The hard look that appeared on Mr. Martin’s face scared me. I’d never seen him be anything other than charming and polite. But as soon as the look appeared it was gone again. He gave us a polite smile and excused himself, leaving out the back door.
“Who was that guy?” Dash asked while frowning at the door Mr. Martin disappeared through.
“Mr. Martin. He comes by my job – excuse me – my old job, a lot. Why?”
“I’ve never seen him before.”
I shrugged his suspicion off. “Six Forks isn’t all that small.”
“Still, you should stay away from him.”
“He’s harmless, Dash. Charlie thinks he has a crush on me. He’s actually very polite and a gentleman,” I argued.
“Would you rather hear this from me or Keiran?” He raised an eyebrow and looked down at me.
“Good point,” I grumbled then thought better of it. “Despite what you or anyone else thinks. Keiran isn’t my father. I had a father and he left.”
“Keiran wants to control you but he also wants to keep you safe. I can understand that need.”
“You know…you may have a shot again if you stop trying to manipulate her.”
“Oh yeah? How?” He raised an eyebrow and looked at me skeptically.
“Be the guy she fell in love with.”
* * *
A couple of hours later, Keiran was parking his car in my driveway and I finally admitted I had a fun night. My aunt would be pissed if she found out I stayed out this late on a Monday night. I leaned over to kiss him goodnight and couldn’t deny how natural it felt but when he leaned away from me and shut off his engine, the feeling faded away fast.
“Who is Mr. Martin?”
“No need to be jealous babe, he’s like fifty.” I smiled at him, but he didn’t reciprocate. When he continued to stare me down, I sighed and sat back in the seat. “I don’t know really. He’s some guy that comes around the gym. I met him about a year ago.”
He shook his head and took his gaze off of me to stare out the windshield. “You continue to test my patience,” he whispered and I got the feeling he wasn’t really talking to me.
“How am I testing you?”
“Stay away from him.”
“He’s harmless.”
“Lake!”
“Don’t raise your voice at me, Keiran. I can hear you just fine.”
“You’re a pain in my ass,” he gritted.
“Ditto.” We sat in silence for a moment, each in our own thoughts. “What did you do with Anya and Trevor?”
“What makes you think I did something to them?”
“Maybe because I saw Dash and Keenan take off with them and maybe because I overheard you tell them that Mario has them. Tell me the truth.”
He sat for so long not saying anything that I almost gave up on it. “I’m setting them up to be given to the same people who kept me for seven years.”
“Kept you?”
He looked reluctant to go on before he answered. “Yes. Before I came here I worked for some bad people at a very young age.”
“But I thought you were with your mother?” Keiran’s past was puzzling. I struggled to put the pieces together with the little I had. Nothing made sense.
“She’s the reason I had to work for those people.”
“Don’t you know who they are?”
“No.”
“So how will you know who to give Trevor and Anya to?”
“Mario will handle that. I don’t know because I don’t want to know. The less that connects me to them, the less chance I have of getting caught.”
“So what will he do with them?”
“They’ll disappear. They won’t be killed…as long as they do what they are told.” Keiran’s explanation was sketchy at best and it all sounded horrible. As much as I hated Anya and Trevor for what they did and all that they planned I didn’t think I could live with it on my conscience.
“Get them back.” I stated, holding my voice firm.
His head whipped around, his gaze burning hot over me. “What?”
“I want you to bring them back.”
“No.” His jaw hardened and I could see the muscles within his cheekbone clench.
“We can’t do this to them. Look at what it did to you.”
He shrugged. “I survived.”
“Did you?”
“Doesn’t matter. They don’t come back. Ever.”
“Then I want nothing to do with you. Stay away from me.” I threw open the passenger door and slammed it shut. Keiran was out and around my side before I could move two steps. He grabbed me up by my upper arms and forced me up against the side of the car.
“If you have any idea of what they were planning for you, you wouldn’t be spouting this bullshit out of your mouth. I don’t give a fuck if you like how I protect you but I will protect you. It’s my burden to bear.”
“And mine!” I cried.
He released a ragged breath and looked as if he wanted to strangle me. “Lake…”
“I’m serious. Get them back or stay away from me. I won’t let you make my soul as ugly as yours.” When he flinched my hand flew to my mouth, muffling my horrified gasp. I realized what I just said at the same time my heart crashed and shattered at my feet. The look on his face broke my heart. I did that. I knew I hurt him worse then he’d ever hurt me.
“Keiran, I –” I was cut off when he shoved away from me and looked down at me with a deeper hatred than I’ve ever seen in his eyes before. It was suddenly over as abruptly as it started and then he was gone.
I could only assume that he would walk out of my life now.
Chapter Thirty
I never meant to call his soul ugly. It was beyond mean. It was downright cruel. Some might say it was justified or even true, after all, his cruelty and manipulations were far more hurtful than anything I could ever say to him. So why did I still feel so damn guilty?
I thought I wanted Anya and Trevor to pay for what they did but the truth was I just needed this whole nightmare to go away. I needed to be seven years old again and with my parents. After ten years I still felt a strong connection with them, one that hurt more than helped.
I made it to the front door with a heavy heart. I failed to think of just one way to make this right outside of begging for forgiveness. But it was also because of what I knew I had to do if Keiran didn’t bring them back.
I wasn’t afraid anymore. I was tired.
As I opened the door and stepped inside I felt the familiar need to run. It wasn’t so much as what I saw or heard. It was what I felt. I looked around the empty house. All was quiet and nothing seemed disturbed but I couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right.
“I’ve been waiting for you.” The eerie sound of a voice that should not have been in my home startled me. The scream that would have torn through my lungs was silence by the sudden press of cold steel against my cheek. “Don’t scream. I don’t have to hurt you but I will.”
“What are you doing here?” The shriek of my voice did nothing to show the terror I felt.
“I tried to warn you away. I tried to help you.”
“Warn me about what?”
“I thought you were smart. You’re just like every other dumb slut.” His enraged and almost psychopathic voice was the last thing I heard when I felt the butt of the gun slam down on my skull.
* * *
She was back. She was smiling down at me but her smile didn’t reach her eyes. In her eyes there was
fear. I knew because they were like my own in so many ways. She looked sad too but I could tell she was happy to see me and for the first time since they disappeared I was happy to see her too. I didn’t fear the anger or hated feeling of being abandoned. I felt relieved because they’d finally come back for me. I was going home.
A strong hand appeared on her shoulder. It was him—my dad. But he didn’t smile at me. He wouldn’t even look at me. He was looking at mom. He was saying something to her. She shook her head and reached out for me and I felt my hand reaching for her. A drop of moisture was dropped onto her shoulder. He was crying when he finally looked at me. He was so handsome and tall. I remembered moments spent on his shoulders when he would play with me.
I remember now.
He loved me and I loved him too. I loved them both. I missed them.
“Why?” I tried to ask but no sound came out. I tried again but stopped when I realized he was pulling her away. “No! Don’t go. Don’t leave me. Not again.” I screamed and I screamed but nothing happened.
He looked back at me once more while my mother cried and cried as he led her away. “We can’t help her now,” he said. My mother turned around almost desperately. She was pointing. Pointing at something behind me.
I turned my head and suddenly I was on the playground now. I saw a little boy a few feet away from me.
Keiran.
He was as I knew him first; eight again with the sun shining but this time the world was quiet. Quiet like death. It was then I noticed he was holding a gun in his hand and dangling from his fingers was the gold locket.
His eyes were sad when he looked at me but they were also full of anger. He looked down at his hand and I noticed the discoloring on the locket. It was…blood.
“Keiran?”
“I killed them,” he said.
“Who? Who did you kill?” He visibly shook as he took deep, ragged breaths. “You have to tell me who they are!” I yelled desperately.
His hand rose slowly and pointed the gun at me. I shook my head but instead of trying to get away, I moved closer. “I kill,” he cried and fired the gun.
* * *
I was ripped away from my nightmare and left drenched in sweat and gasping for breath. I would have thought my nightmare was over but my throbbing headache said otherwise. I opened my eyes and was looking out of a window. I could see the unkempt lawn but nothing else. “It’s good to see you awake. I was beginning to think I might have hit you too hard. How is your head by the way?”
“It was fine,” I said sarcastically. He smiled wide and for the first time I didn’t find anything charming about it.
“I’m sorry I had to do that but I didn’t think you would come with me willingly.” I stared back into the cold eyes of Mr. Martin as he sat in the corner of the room.
“Why are you doing this? You were behind the break-in, weren’t you?”
“Why does anyone ever do anything? For money, dear girl, and yes, I did leave the photo. Sad, what happened to that little girl.”
“But my aunt isn’t here and she isn’t rich.” He laughed as if I’d just told a joke or said something witty. Or maybe the man was just nuts. The latter explanation fit better.
“I don’t want money from your aunt or you. In fact, this has little to do with you at all.”
“What? Then why –”
“You are merely bait, Lake.”
“Bait for who?”
“Are you really this blind or is it by choice?”
“I’m sorry Mr. Martin. It must have been the blow to my head I recently received. You’ll have to help me with this one.”
“Well for starters my name isn’t Martin. It’s Masters and I’m here for my son.”
Chapter Thirty-One
The time it took for me to process what he’d just said was two and a half seconds. No shit – I counted. “But everyone thinks you’re dead.”
“No, I’m very much alive.” He crossed his leg over the other and appeared way too casual for my liking.
“If you’ve been alive all this time then why are you just now coming around?”
“Because my son would have put a bullet in my head the moment he saw me,” he answered, full of disdain. I frowned, because like everyone else, I was under the impression that Keiran had never met his father.
“If Keiran is your son…why would he want to kill you?”
“I haven’t been the best father.” He shrugged, noncommittally. “I’ve told a lot of lies, Miss Monroe and have done many ugly things. Things that were necessary to get what is rightfully mine.”
“Are you even sorry for it? Why should I believe you now?” There wasn’t a hint of compassion in the way he talked about his estranged son and his dead mother.
“I really don’t care if you believe or not. You serve one purpose and that is to bring Keiran to me. I’ve watched you both for some time now. Long before I ever made myself known to you. I must say it was intriguing to see the way my son treated the girl he loves.”
“What makes you so sure he’s in love with me?”
“For your sake I hope he is.”
“I’m sure a man such as yourself wouldn’t be willing to risk so much off of hope…that’s if you really even believe in it.”
His eyebrow lifted and he pursed his lips. “My son lets you get away with a mouth like that?” His eyes darkened much like the way Keiran’s often did and I was smart enough to know when I was out of my league.
“What amount of money is worth all this?”
“Millions.” His eyes shone with greed. “Millions that should have been mine years ago.”
“How do you expect your eighteen year old son to pay you that kind of money?”
“You and I both know Keiran is far from being helpless and more than capable of doing many illegal acts. Oh yes, I know all about Anya Risdell and Trevor Reynolds. I have connections too,” he said in a conspiratorial tone. “Keiran is part heir of a vast fortune that he will inherit once he turns twenty-one.”
“Where have I heard this before?”
“I realize the situation is extremely cliché and yet extremely real.”
“You said part…”
“Yes, the other boy – Keenan.” I didn’t miss the contempt in his voice as he spoke his name. “And my brother as well…if he ever marries.”
“So won’t you get part of the fortune too?”
“Unfortunately, I’ve already received the first portion of my inheritance. The same portion that Keiran is set to inherit in three years.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Our family has always been determined to continue the Masters lineage for many generations to come. For the past fifty or sixty years the rate at which we have been known to marry respectfully and reproduce has declined so much so that there are now stipulations in place to ensure our name does not die. In order for any of us to receive our full inheritance we must marry and produce children. We receive our initial and much smaller portion when we become of age and the rest once we have completed our duties.”
Talk about blackmail. Rich people were grade-A crazy. “So you have money –”
“I had money, Miss Monroe. I have expensive tastes and owe a great deal of debt that could cost me my life if it remains unpaid. I’ve got by the past ten years on a lucky gambling streak that has since ran out.”
“Ever heard of bargain shopping?” He regarded me with narrowed eyes that mirrored his son. How had I not seen this before?
“Please do try not to test my patience. I assure you I won’t hesitate to hurt you; although I can’t kill you…not yet anyway.”
I nodded once and held my tongue. “Understood.”
“Good.” He uncrossed his legs and stood, heading to the dresser where a bottle of brown liquid that I knew to be alcohol waited. He poured a glass and quickly tossed it back before pouring another. “Where was I?”
“You’re broke.” He sent me a sharp look and I shrunk back against the headboard.
“Sorry…old habits. So if Keiran hates you and he doesn’t inherit for another three years why are you doing this now?”
“Those debts I previously mentioned aren’t willing to wait three years.”
“But I seriously doubt he will help you.”
“No…he won’t.”
“Then how…” Realization dawned on me at the look in his eyes. “No!” I yelled, jumping from the bed. My feet were planted wide as I faced him. “I won’t let you hurt him,” I growled. If Keiran died, then his money would undoubtedly forfeit to his father as his next of kin.
He laughed which pissed me off further. “You know it astounds me that you are so ready to protect him even if it means harm to yourself –”
“If that’s what it takes,” I interrupted with steel in my voice.
“That is truly remarkably Miss Monroe. My son has done nothing but hurt you for years.” He must have noticed the surprised look on my face when he said, “Yes, I know all about that. The Reynolds boy filled me in. He was all too willing to bring my son down. It’s a shame that Keiran got to him first because I would have eventually killed him myself. I could have had the money I needed a year ago if it wasn’t for him.”
I couldn’t believe it but he was right. If Trevor hadn’t framed Keiran…he would be dead. “You were the person Trevor said wanted to meet me the night of the fair.”
“Yes, I was, Miss Monroe.”
“You’re insane.”
“Call it what you want. I knew then you were just the pawn I needed to reel Keiran in. I need an advantage when I face him.”
“What makes you so sure Keiran would kill you? That’s a little extreme for being an absentee father.”
“No, I was much worse than that.”
“I’m not buying.”
“Keiran has killed before. Many times. Do you believe that?”
“No,” I lied but my voice wavered as I thought about the girl in the photo.
“You’re a terrible liar, Miss Monroe. One thing my son and I have in common is a lack for mercy or remorse. He’d harm his own mother if it suited him. He’s already proven that.”