“Mom, let’s take a break.” I take the album from her lap. “You’re still healing. You can tell me more later. We need to focus on and cherish the good memories, heal, and become whole before we can stand together and fight.” Again, the lawyer in me wants to ask her what she means about the mail. If there was something in there that made my father do the unbearable things he did. I can’t. She’s so pale. So weak. And her lips are trembling.
“You amaze me, Caitlin. There wasn’t one day that passed when you weren’t on my mind. I fought at first to escape and get back to you, but he had guards at the first place. It was decent with the bare essentials. Bed, food, and a bit of sunlight, guarded by iron bars. It was a prison cell, though.” I’m on the verge of losing it here. But, just like her wanting to get this out, my head is overloaded with wanting answers. To try to piece it together and to simply understand why.
“Why were you found in a cellar, nearly dead?” I shudder at my own words. “Never mind, Mom. I’m not sure I want to know the answer to that.”
“It’s okay, sweetie. Before the move to that cellar, there was a new guard your father had hired. Your dad’s visits were few and far between near the end. In the beginning, he’d visit and taunt me with his nasty words and then force himself on me. It could hardly be called rape—”
I cut her off by holding up my hand. My stomach is lurching in my gut. I’m going to vomit. “How can you sit there and say any of it was okay, Mom? It was kidnapping, neglect, lies. It was rape and abuse. There are no excuses, Mom. For none of what he did to you. Please don’t defend him. Not to me,” I plead.
“You’re right. There aren’t. My excuse is—and to me it’s the best one I have, the one I’ve been given my right back to cherish—you are my daughter. Mine. And it doesn’t matter how old you are, I will make excuse after excuse if it’s going to protect you.” I blink away tears. She has been given her rights back. My beautiful, courageous mother can make up all the excuses she wants, just not when it comes to him.
“I love you,” I say.
“And I love you. I know what I’m telling you is painful. Just, please, let me finish. Even if it hurts, this is something I need to say.”
“Okay.”
“The last guard I had in the original place was friendlier than the rest. He appeared to have a soul and a genuine care for the human race. The day your dad caught him in the locked room with me, he flipped. The man, I don’t remember his name, had brought me a People magazine to read. He’d do small acts of kindness like that to remind me that I was a human being. He’d always take whatever he brought with him when he left, so he didn’t get caught.” If that man cared about the human race, then he would have taken her with him, not some stupid magazine.
“What did Dad do?” I whisper, almost afraid to ask.
“Your dad shot him in front of me. Left his dead body behind and took me to that cellar. From there on it was Vince and your father who would show up once a day to toss me stale food and water. I overheard several of their conversations about it being time to end my life. They rarely disagreed over the years, but on this they did. Your father wanted me dead, knowing I was a loose end in so many ways, but Vince refused to have more blood on his hands, since their business was good.” She smiles gently. “He really hated me in the end, and I was over living that way. All I wanted was to die. But the evil man Clarence was wouldn’t allow it. He pushed, taunted, and teased me about you. How you were so much like him. A control freak. Money hungry. And if he had his way, you would be the next in line to take on the family drug name. I had realized years before he kidnapped me that he was pure evil. Then your father quit showing up. I knew something was wrong. That there was a possibility he was dead. Vince wouldn’t speak to me. Then one day, Vince stopped coming around, too. I think I spent about three or four days in that cellar with no food or water. I was left for dead until that sweet man stumbled upon the covered cellar and I had enough energy left to scream.”
I’m too intrigued and in lawyer mode now.
“I never knew anything about drugs.”
I know you didn’t, and I wanted it that way. You were a little girl, sweetie. My little girl. I had to protect you the best way I knew how. I also think Vince had it in his head, that saying ‘out of sight out of mind.’ So, instead of killing me, he was going to leave me there to rot. I don’t know.”
“Mom, you were found near my childhood home.”
“I know. Probably made it easier for your father to toss me food on his days. No suspicion, you know? Just a jog in the heavily-treed area.”
“The fucker thought of everything, except for a man out tending to a lawn and the man who killed him,” I mumble.
“Right.” She clears her throat and begins to wring her hands.
“Do you have any idea who would have killed him?” I ask.
“Maybe, but I can’t go there right now, Lillybug.” I’m desperate for her to answer me, but when her eyes drift down to her lap and she starts to wring those tiny little hands even harder, I know it’s time to be done. For now, anyway.
I smile at the strongest woman I know. I feel lighter than I have in days with how far she has come, and it feels damn good to talk to her. Even if all of it is shattering me.
“Shower, new clothes, and dessert?” I offer. She needs to cleanse everything she’s told me away. I’ll take this news to Katch so he can take it from here.
“Yes.” She slowly rises to her feet. “Show me how to live again.”
I guide her to the bathroom and take delicate care of helping her shower. I make sure to use ample amounts of the apple shampoo while washing her hair.
“I love the smell of this stuff. It’s so refreshing,” she says as she leans her head back while I rinse the conditioner out.
“Me too,” I tell her. I do love it. It’s what I use on my hair now. The only thing missing is her apple lotion. Once we are able to locate it, I’m buying a year's worth of it.
I scrub her scalp with the pads of my fingers; all of this is unreal, to say the least. Being the daughter and nurturing her own mother in this fashion. More gratifying than I’ll be able to explain. There’s no shame when I step out of the shower with her in my own soaked clothes and begin to dry her off, either.
I lay out all the outfits and let her pick what she wants to wear, while I quickly dart across the hall to change. My insides warm when I walk back in and she’s making a careful decision while still picking one out.
“These are all so pretty and different. Times sure have changed. One thing that hasn’t—and I’m so grateful for it—is your relationship with Rachel and your cousin. I still can’t believe they are married.” She picks up a simple baby-blue t-shirt dress. I help her with it and then guide her down onto a bench in the bathroom.
“Yeah. Love at first sight with those two. They make each other happy.”
I braid her long hair, apply moisturizer to her beautiful face, and then guide her back into the kitchen.
“Now, what’s for dessert?” she asks with a gleam in her eyes.
“Let’s see.” I open the fridge and freezer in one fell swoop. “We have Rocky Road ice cream, cheesecake, and it looks like brownies.”
I point to the fresh pan on the counter and then giggle wondering how in the hell they got there. Katch can cook, or so he says, but he claims he hates to bake.
“You know me and chocolate. Some things never change, sweetie.”
I slice the brownies, making sure to cut her square in half. She only needs a small portion; then I pour her a glass of milk.
I set them in front of her. “Careful not to overdo it, Mom. I mean, I love you more than anything, but I draw the line at cleaning up vomit.”
She chuckles lightly, foregoing using the fork to eat her brownie. “Oh, sweetie, you be careful with Katch then if you don’t want a lifetime duty of cleaning up puke.”
I tilt my head in question. “Oh no, no babies for me. You’ll have to settle for Curtis’s t
wo daughters to appease your grandmother appetite.”
“We’ll see. You do know I’m sick right now, not dumb?” She smiles then takes a large bite of her brownie. “I like him.”
I flush bright red with her omission. Yep, I’m the embarrassed teenager being busted by her mother. The birds and the bees and all that.
“I love him, Mom. No more talk of babies, though.”
The door leading to the attached garage slams shut. Katch appears in the doorway. He’s covered in grease, hair tousled, and shirtless. Holy loving mother of God. He even makes dirt and grime look sexy.
“Hey, you're practically living out there in your man cave. How’s the restoration going?” I go to him, wrap my arms around his middle. Lean up and peck him on the lips.
“It’s coming along.” He peers over my shoulder to look at my mom.
“That’s great. I can’t wait to see it. Are you hungry?” I ask.
He doesn’t make eye contact with me, which is strange since he always does. Slowly, his mouth drops open, then he points in my mom’s direction.
“Are those my brownies?”
“If your brownies were on the counter, then yes.”
He finally drops his head to face me, and I think he’s going to kiss me, but a devilish smile covers his face. There’s nothing sexier than a smile on a man’s face who is this dark and guarded.
“Those are my special brownies.” He kisses me lightly. “As in, my pot brownies.”
“Oh, my God.”
18
Caitlin
“What are you doing here?” I look up to see Rachel standing in the kitchen. It’s been a couple of days since I’ve seen her last. We talked on the phone shortly after the brownie fiasco, because I had to tell her. It was a sight to see when Katch told my mom what the main ingredient was and then proceeded to try to take her half-eaten brownie away. She slapped his hand as if she were punishing a child.
Told him that the news said marijuana was used for pain, so leave it alone. I laughed and then cried so hard I nearly peed my pants.
“Heard Doctor Hot Pants is making his daily visit.” Rachel winks at me then snatches up a slice of cucumber from the chopping block I’m using.
“He was here hours ago, Rachel. I’m going to tell Curtis if you don’t quit calling him that.” I stick my tongue out at her. “And then you’re going to get spanked.”
The front door slams shut so hard all the contents in the kitchen rattle.
“Rachel!” Curtis roars, his loud footsteps echoing through the house.
“Guess I’m busted.” She shrugs. Right. She’s doing this on purpose.
He rounds the corner with a red face full of anger. “You just had to keep smacking those lips about Doc, and now I’m going to blister your ass. Let me fucking show you what the word ‘hot’ means.” Yup, I knew it.
He throws her over his shoulder in one quick movement. Rachel flails her arms and legs, laughing her ass off. Curtis’s palm comes down hard on her ass, making her screech loudly with excitement. I can’t help but laugh.
“You will be calling me doctor after my cock teaches you a lesson.” He rips open the garage door and then slams it shut.
“What the fuck was that?” Katch saunters into the kitchen, running his hand through his hair.
“If I had to guess”—I step over to him—“Rachel finally admitted to Curtis she has a crush on Doctor Hot Pants.”
“Hot pants?”
“Brick’s brother.”
He raises an eyebrow, asking me silently my opinion on the matter. I shrug, turn back to chopping, and let him worry for a bit.
“Not my type, honey. It seems I love the more-asshole type.”
“Good to know.” He pulls my back into his chest. Takes the knife from my hand, sets in on the counter, and then guides us out onto the back porch, where he draws me down to sit on his lap. I relax back into him as naturally as breathing fresh air. He lights up a cigarette, and like always, I’m in awe of his sexy lips as he inhales. I let him have the first few drags before I pull it from his fingers and indulge myself.
“I missed you.” I hand back his lit cigarette.
“God, I never thought I’d miss your sassy and demanding mouth, but it’s been torture, Hollywood.”
Katch has been so busy the last several days I barely got a glimpse of his fine ass. He was here but buried deep in trying to find out all he can about how involved my father and Vince are with drugs, while other times he was out in his garage.
I know he was giving me the time I needed with my mom as well. It was fucking hell not seeing him, though. Every single second of it. Brick never left the house. It was a castle guarded deep with protection.
I struggle with thinking that way, because I never want my mom to feel like she’s locked in a prison again. It’s for our safety, I keep telling myself.
I’ve even shocked myself a bit. I’ve been so occupied with my mother and making new memories that I haven’t thought about researching Vince myself. Nope, instead, I’ve watched television with my mother, colored and cut her hair, and spent hours lying by her side, filling her in about everything I’ve done since I thought I’d lost her. She’s requested lots more brownies made by Katch as well. The calming effect helps her rest.
Curtis even called a dentist out here for her. Her teeth have been cleaned, her busted tooth has been capped, and they brought her some of those whitening strips to use. She’s starting to resemble the mother I remember.
“You're sleeping in my bed from now on.” He moves me around until he’s palming my ass and I’m facing him.
“I’m good with that.” I moan when he slides his hands around to my breasts.
“Fuck. I can smell your sweetness from here. I fucking need inside you.”
“I need you, too.”
I bite down on my bottom lip, then lift up enough to somehow wiggle out of my cotton shorts.
“Shit, you were made for me,” he says when he notices I’m not wearing panties.
I continue to talk while working on his jeans.
“My mom’s asleep.”
I get his fly down.
“Curtis and Rachel are angry-fucking in your garage.”
“Ours,” he corrects.
I don’t pause to analyze what that means.
I pull his rock-hard cock from his pants, stroking him slowly.
“And Brick is in an Xbox trance.” I grip his dick in my palm and raise my hips just enough to sink his head into me. “Don’t see why we need to wait until we go to bed.”
“Tits,” he growls. “I need your fucking tits in my face now.”
I finish sinking onto him until there’s no more to take. The burning pleasure of him inside of me stretches me wide. I pull my shirt over my head then flick my bra off, giving my man all that he wants. His teeth sink down on my sensitive nipple, shocking my hips into action. My palms root to the top of his shoulders while I slam up and down on his thick cock.
My pussy is greedy needing all of him. It only takes a few thrusts up and down before I’m screaming his name with my nails digging into his back. When I finally open my eyes, Katch is staring at me.
“You’re beautiful.”
“Thank you.”
“Do you trust me, Hollywood?”
“With everything I have,” I answer without hesitation.
“I want all of you,” he says as he buries his head in my hair. His response confuses me until he stands up and I lose his cock. He lays me out on the patio table. Spreads my legs and starts working his fingers in and out of me while sliding a finger down the crack of my ass. Oh, shit.
“I want this, baby. You gonna give it to me?” he asks, his voice so gruff it’s burning with desire. His words shock me, and I perch up on my elbows to watch him as he alternates between rubbing my tight little hole and then coating his dick with me. It’s fucking erotic and such a turn-on I feel another orgasm threatening to release.
“I need words, Caitlin.” H
e looks me in the eye while carrying on with his tortuous maneuvers to my body.
“Yes,” I breathe out. The thought of him taking my ass out here in the early night is carnal. It has me dripping with want.
He enters my ass with two of his fingers, while his other hand continues to coat himself, not once taking those eyes off mine. It’s an odd feeling, a sensation so bold and wicked that my pussy convulses. It feels fucking amazing.
“Hang on to the edge,” he says, taking his orbs from my face to look at my ass. I’m soaked, he’s soaked, and then he raises my legs up in the air while pressing his chest into my back.
Katch drags his dick through my wet folds, taunting me and driving me wild.
“Please,” I beg.
He winks at me then nudges his cock up against my ass.
“Oh,” I whimper as he begins to push into me.
“Relax, baby. You have to relax. I’ll make it feel good. I have to be balls deep in this tight little ass.”
I shake my head slightly. “I’ve never—”
“I know. I can tell.” He inches in a little further at a time. God, it hurts, yet it feels good at the same damn time. I writhe underneath his masculine touch. My body is fighting him every step of the way.
When it hurts to the point I’m ready to cry out, he begins strumming my clit in circles. Whispering how good I feel and how he’s never letting me go. My heart swells.
“You love it. Don’t you? You wait until you come, baby. I swear to God I’ll make you come so hard you’ll be begging me to fuck this pretty little ass often.”
“Oh, God.” It feels so fucking good that I flop my face back on the table. He sinks two fingers into my core while being balls deep in my ass. I’m filled. Everything inside me combusts. Sparks fly and my release builds up as he works in and out of my ass in a way that has my body humming.
When Opposites Collide Boxset Page 14