by L. P. Dover
Mitchell opened the bedroom door, a sly grin on his face when he turned to look at me. “There’s a pair of boots and a coat in the closet for you. You’ll need them outside today.” He walked down the hall and I hurried to the window. The ground was covered in snow with more falling. Most likely the last huge snow the mountains would see this winter since it was already getting close to March. It was beautiful, but it ruined my escape plans. If I took off in the snow, all Mitchell and his men would have to do is follow my tracks. Shit.
I found the boots and put them on before grabbing the coat and going downstairs. Darren must’ve let Mario inside the house while we were still in bed, because there was French toast already on the table. Mitchell was determined to win me over. “Where is everyone?” I asked, taking my seat. I looked around and no one was there. Usually, Darren was somewhere skulking around.
Mitchell’s lip tilted up in a mischievous smile. “I told them to back off. Darren is still here, but he’ll be gone tonight. I figured we needed some time alone.” My stomach clenched and I wasn’t even hungry anymore. After the way he looked at me in bed, I knew he wouldn’t give me any more time. He was going to take what he wanted.
After breakfast, I walked to the front door and put on my coat. I had to bide my time before I made my move, especially if Darren was still around. Mitchell joined me and opened the door, snow drifting in from the chilly wind.
“Oh my God, it’s cold out here,” I said.
Mitchell laughed. “It is, but it’s nothing like Wyoming.” He grabbed my hand and I wanted to groan, but refrained.
“Do you still have the house out in Wilson?” I asked.
He nodded. “I figured it’s where we could spend our honeymoon. I thought I’d leave it up to you. Then when we have a family of our own we can vacation out there, tell our kids about all the memories we had.”
Bile rose up the back of my throat, burning like acid. The man was seriously delusional. I had to bite my tongue to keep from lashing out. Think about Kellan. He was the only thing keeping me focused.
“What are people going to say when you show up in Boston with me?” I asked.
He snorted. “Doesn’t matter. I don’t have to answer to anyone.”
“And Mary? She knows I’m Kellan’s fiancée.”
His jaw clenched. “Was his fiancée. It was just a stupid ploy to make me jealous. You knew it would drive me insane to see you two together.”
“What about my name? How are you going to explain my death?”
There was a creek up ahead with a partially frozen waterfall. We stopped at the edge and Mitchell turned me to face him. “Simple. It was a mistake. We had a fight and you left Boston for a while.”
“So basically, I’m the one being turned into a bitch. I leave town to seduce your stepson only to get back at you. It’ll ruin my reputation. Simon & Associates wouldn’t hire me back after that kind of scandal. I might as well jump off a cliff now.”
He grabbed my shoulders. “Enough of that. They’re going to hire you back. I’ll make sure of it. Now let’s keep walking. Maybe it’ll clear your mind.” My mind was already clear and was focused on getting the hell away from him as fast as I could. His plan would destroy me more so than he’d already done. As we walked through the woods, I’d made my decision. I knew how I was going to trap him, but it was going to involve a great deal of sacrifice.
—
My thoughts were constantly on the move throughout the rest of the day. I had everything planned out, and if it worked, I’d be able to escape. If not, I’d have condemned not only myself but Kellan as well. Darren had left long before Mitchell and I started eating dinner, so I knew it was time to make a move. It was dark outside, but I was prepared. While Mitchell busied himself with work after our walk, I packed a bag of warm clothes and snacks. I planned on running away as fast and hard as possible. In the meantime, I put on the sexiest clothes I could find and strolled around the house a couple of times before grabbing the deck of cards off the coffee table. I sat down at the kitchen table and started a game of Solitaire while I waited for Mitchell to get done with work. Huffing, he walked out of one of the back rooms and froze when he noticed me.
“You’re making it really hard for me to keep my control,” Mitchell growled. He watched me from across the room, sipping his gin and tonic. He’d been in a mood ever since we got back from our walk, but I had no idea why.
I dropped one of my playing cards and bent over to pick it up, exposing the tops of my breasts. “I’m sorry you’re having trouble,” I said, keeping my attention on the cards. He downed the rest of his drink and slowly stalked over to me. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. I didn’t want to do what I was about to do, but there was no other way to catch him off guard.
Mitchell sat down beside me, his hands caressing my thighs. When I didn’t recoil, his eyes darkened, his breathing more urgent. “I’ve wanted to touch you like this for so long.” He pressed his lips to my neck and I forced out a moan; it spurred him on more.
Grabbing my legs, he turned me toward him and spread them apart so he could move closer and have me straddle him. He pushed his arousal into me and it took all I had not to fight him off. “Tell me you want this, Kristen,” he said, staring straight into my eyes. “I want to hear you say it.”
“I want this,” I whispered back. “I’m ready for you to make love to me.”
It was as if those words triggered something inside of him, something dangerous and dark. He gripped the back of my neck and held me in place as he kissed me hard. His hips moved against me with urgency and I felt trapped. “Mitchell, wait,” I begged. Groaning, he sucked on my lip and reluctantly sat back. “I don’t want to do this here. Let me go upstairs and freshen up. I’ll be ready in five minutes.”
His smile made me shiver. “I have to make a phone call anyway. There’s some lingerie up there you’d look amazing in.” I’d found that sexy lingerie as I was looking through all the clothes he bought me.
I forced a smile and nodded. “I’ll pick something out.” He let me up and I hurried upstairs to my room. In the closet, I had my bag all packed and a change of clothes to throw on before I ran out the door. There was even a flashlight I found in the kitchen, even though I didn’t plan on using it. The moon against the brightness of the snow would be my guide. My plan was to keep going until I found someone to help me.
I chose the only lingerie that wasn’t transparent; it was a silky red shift that still didn’t leave much to the imagination. My heart pounded and I kept waiting to hear Mitchell’s footsteps, but nothing ever came. There was a bathrobe in the bathroom, so I slipped it on and quietly opened the bedroom door. I could hear Mitchell’s voice downstairs and he sounded angry. Tiptoeing down the hall, I peeked over the railing into the living room, but he wasn’t there; he was in the study. One by one, I descended the steps very carefully so he couldn’t hear me. Once I could hear clearly, I stopped.
“Where the fuck is he?” Mitchell hissed low.
The other person was on speakerphone and it sounded like Darren. “I don’t know. No one can get in touch with him.”
“Fuck. I need to know if he finished off Kellan.”
“I’m almost positive he did, sir. Carrigan never fails on his missions. They probably haven’t found Carter’s body yet.”
The world spun around me and I stumbled into the wall, trying desperately to hold in my cries. Tears flooded my eyes and I hurried to the stairs, only I didn’t get there fast enough. “What the hell are you doing?” Mitchell demanded.
So many emotions warred inside of me and I didn’t know how to handle it. I turned around, my cheeks so hot I could feel the fire beneath them. “How could you?” I spat. “I’ve done everything you wanted.”
His eyes grew dark. “No, you haven’t. I knew that if he was still alive, you’d never submit to me. Now he’s out of the way for good.”
Pain exploded in my chest. If I’d only tried to escape sooner, Kellan would pr
obably still be alive. Mitchell stepped closer and I backed up the stairs. “You’re going to have to kill me now. There’s no way in hell I’d want to be with you after this.”
His gaze raked over my body and I could see the hunger in his eyes. “You’re not going to have a choice.” He raced toward me and I charged up the stairs to my room, only I didn’t get the door locked fast enough. Mitchell burst through the door and tackled me onto the bed, his body heavy on top of mine as he pinned my wrists above my head. “You are mine, Kristen. It’s time you realize that.”
“Fuck you!” I shouted.
“Gladly.” He kissed his way down my neck to my breasts, biting them through the fabric. His grip was so tight that my fingers were going numb. I never realized how strong he was until now. The look in his wild gaze terrified me; it was lust for me, and obviously, the excitement after a fresh kill. Kellan was gone and it ripped me apart. I had to fight. Mitchell secured my wrists with one hand and used the other to lift my lingerie. “Stop fighting me, angel. I want you to enjoy this.”
He sucked my breasts and moaned while using his other hand to free his cock. My body was paralyzed underneath his and I couldn’t move. Closing my eyes, I concentrated on my training. What would Aylee do in this situation? Time was running out and all I could think about was Kellan, how he wouldn’t want me to give up. There was plenty of time to mourn, but I had to save myself.
Mitchell positioned himself between my legs, his cock at my opening. Somehow I summoned every bit of strength I had to fight back. He’d terrorized me one too many times. Sucking in a breath, I reared my head back and slammed it into his. He yelled in pain, and for a moment I had the opening I needed, only everything around me spun. My head throbbed and I grew nauseated, but I concentrated on the task at hand. I wasn’t going to get another chance. I pushed Mitchell off me and punched him as hard as I could in the throat. He gasped for air and fell to the floor while I rushed to the closet to get my things. I dressed as fast as I could while he was briefly unconscious and secured the bag around my shoulders. Mitchell started to regain consciousness so I grabbed the lamp off the dresser and slammed it over his head. While he was disoriented, I charged downstairs, stumbling down the last three steps, and searched for his car keys.
“Kristen!” Mitchell shouted from upstairs.
“Dammit.” I couldn’t find his keys, so I took off out the door into the snow. Adrenaline coursed through my veins and I ran faster than I ever thought imaginable. Sticking to the main road was my only option to find help. If I got lost in the woods, I’d most likely die.
“Kristen!”
I gasped and the tears started to flow. I’d rather die than have him catch me. Snow crunched behind me and the sound of footsteps drew nearer. I heard my name echoing all around, the despair closing in. He was going to get me. I felt so close to losing consciousness from the head-butt, my vision going blurry the harder I pushed. Everything was so white that it all blended together. Hands grabbed me around the waist and we fell to the ground.
“Get the fuck off me,” I screamed, swinging my arms wildly. I punched him hard and then he slammed a hand down over my mouth.
“Kristen, it’s me,” a familiar voice murmured. It was dark and I couldn’t see through my tears, but I recognized that voice.
“Kellan?”
He rubbed his cheek. “Yeah, it’s me. I have to get you out of here.”
“How did you find me?”
“I’ll tell you later.”
Before he could help me up, he was tackled to the ground. Mitchell pointed a gun at Kellan’s head, but Kellan knocked it out of his hands, a fearless look in his eyes, like he was ready to kill. Punches were thrown left and right, the men’s angry growls filling the night air as they pummeled each other. As much as I wanted Mitchell out of the way, I couldn’t let Kellan kill him. Mitchell was on the ground, trying to block Kellan’s punches and failing. The sound of bones breaking made my stomach sick.
“Kellan, stop!” I screamed. His back was to me, his fist in the air and shaking. It was years of pent-up aggression and hate spurring him on. He pushed off Mitchell and got to his feet, but not before reaching for the gun.
Mitchell got up while Kellan stood across from him with the gun in his hand, pointed straight at his head. Sirens blared down the street and I could see the red and blue lights glowing in the distance. Kellan cocked the gun, his finger closing in on the trigger.
“Kellan, don’t,” I pleaded.
He didn’t take his murderous glare away from Mitchell. “He deserves to die, Kristen. Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t.”
“Carter!” Jason shouted in the distance. There were more voices coming from the woods and the sirens got closer.
I walked up to him, placing a shaking hand on his shoulder. I never thought I’d see him again. Mitchell stared at me, his face a stony mask and covered in blood. “He does deserve it,” I agreed, “but that’s the easy way out. He needs to pay for all he’s done. He can’t do that if he’s six feet under.”
When Jason appeared behind Mitchell, Kellan lowered the gun. He blew out a shaky breath and lowered his head, his body trembling. Aylee rushed over to help Jason handcuff Mitchell while Brooklyn threw her arms around me. “I thought we’d never find you.”
I hugged her tight. “I’m so glad you did. I don’t want to imagine my life right now if you hadn’t.”
By the time she let me go, there were police cars everywhere. Jason pushed Mitchell over to one of them and tossed him into the backseat. Was it a mistake not to let Kellan finish Mitchell off? Maybe, but that wasn’t something I wanted Kellan to live with for the rest of his life. Brooklyn gently took the gun from Kellan. He turned to me, his chest rising and falling with his rapid breaths.
I jumped into his arms and cried, “I thought you were dead.”
His head shook. “Mitchell tried and failed. It killed me that you were with him and I didn’t know where you were.”
“It’s okay. I’m fine. I’m so sorry for punching you; I thought you were him.”
He pulled back and held my face in his hands. “And a good punch it was. I was so worried about you.”
“How did you know where I was?” I asked.
His thumb brushed across my lips. “Believe it or not, my mother led us in the right direction. We found the bank account Mitchell used to purchase the cabin. I guess we were just lucky you were in the Appalachian Mountains and only two hours away from us. If you weren’t, I don’t want to think about what would’ve happened.” I didn’t want to think about it, either. His gaze landed on the cop car where Mitchell glared straight at us. “He didn’t…”
I turned him back to me. “He didn’t rape me, Kellan. I’m okay, I promise.” His arms snaked around my waist and I breathed him in. “I just want to go home.”
“As soon as this is all over, that’s exactly where we’re going.” The cops drove Mitchell away and I dreaded the media storm that was about to follow. But at least once it was done, I could get my life back, or at least that was what I hoped.
Chapter 35
Kristen
The wind was cool against my face, but Kellan’s body warmed me as I laid my head against his chest. Sitting by Brooklyn’s pond always gave me peace and I needed it more than anything. News about what happened with Mitchell had spread far and wide. He was in prison along with Darren and the others he had working for him. Hopefully, they’d stay there for the rest of their lives.
We’d been home a week and couldn’t even get to our house because of all the people camped out there, which was why we had to go back to Brooklyn’s house in the meantime. The media wanted my story but I wasn’t ready to give it. I knew I’d have plenty of time to expose all the details at Mitchell’s trial, which was only two months away since it was a high-profile case. Once news spread, there were more people who stepped forward, saying they were victims of his threats. Mitchell had a long list of incriminating evidence against him, including video of
one of his past lovers who committed suicide to get away from him. There was no telling how many other women were victims of his obsession.
“What are you thinking about?” Kellan asked. I looked up at him and my heart sank. His right eye was still bruised and a little swollen, but from the pictures I knew Mitchell looked ten times worse. Kellan caressed my cheek with his fingers, but I stopped him and held his hand to my face.
“I’m thinking about us. You know once the full story gets out, my past will come stumbling back. You’ll be dragged right into the middle of it. Everyone will know about Mitchell and me, about how you were his stepson. I’m dreading the kinds of stories the tabloids will come up with.”
“Hey,” he said, grabbing my hand. He sat up and pulled me into his lap. “I don’t give a shit what’s said about it. I love you and we’ll get through it together.” I believed him with all my heart, but there was a part of me that was so afraid the media would tear us apart. “So how does it feel to be Kristen Robinson again?”
Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes. “Strange. I got used to being Kristen Holt. In a way, I wish I could hide behind that name for a little while longer. Unfortunately, she doesn’t exist anymore. She’s the girl who met you.”
“You’re still the same person, buttercup.” I didn’t feel like Kristen Robinson anymore. She wasn’t as strong as Kristen Holt. After living a different life, it was hard to combine the two. “You never told me what your boss at M&M said to you this morning.”
After I went missing for those few days, I was almost certain I’d lost my job, but then a vase of flowers showed up on my doorstep a couple of days ago saying how everyone couldn’t wait to see me. So this morning, I got up and headed to work, only to be surprised by a welcome-back party.
“He was really concerned about me. Everyone’s glad I’m okay. Now that he knows my full background, he’s even more impressed with my work.”