I stop.
I’m torn.
I don’t know what to do.
His free hand goes to his belt buckle and starts to undo it. Oh, hell no. This is not happening. Elizabeth lets out a whimper, but with the gun still aimed at her, I’m afraid to do anything.
“You’re going to suck my dick and show him who you belong to. Then I’m going to fuck you hard enough that you’ll never forget. If you make one sound or refuse, I’ll kill him. Understand?” She doesn’t respond. She’s frozen, staring at him in horror. In one swift move, he grabs her by her hair and throws her on the bed, falling on top of her and pinning her down.
I don’t fucking think so.
Without another thought, a violent growl erupts from my chest as I run over and tackle him. The impact pushes him off of her. I rear back and land a punch to his jaw. Before I can hit him again, he bucks his hips, throwing me off of him and onto the floor. He gets to his knees and starts to crawl to Elizabeth, but I quickly get up and grab him by the back of his shirt and pull him toward me as hard as I can.
We both crash to the floor, him landing on top and knocking the wind out of me. He rolls over faster than I’m expecting, straddling me. My head snaps to the side when he punches me in the face. “You’re done, asshole,” he spits at me.
I vaguely hear Elizabeth shouting, telling him to stop. She comes into my vision and tries to pull Cal off of me. He yanks his arm back, hitting her in the face and knocking her back.
Fuck that.
In one movement, my legs come up and hook around his body, pulling him off of me. I take advantage of his surprise and pounce on top of him. Grabbing him by his hair, I slam his head against the floor. Again and again. In a blur, his arm comes around and swings at my face, cold cocking me with the pistol in his hand. The force knocks me to the side. My forehead touches the ground as I brace myself with my hands, attempting to push myself back up.
Get up.
Save Elizabeth.
I repeat this in my mind, willing my body to listen, but the pain is excruciating and I’m completely disoriented. Rolling over on my back, I see Cal standing over me. I can’t hear what he’s saying over the ringing in my ears. A sadistic grin spreads across his face as he points the gun down at me.
This is it.
I won’t be able to keep her safe.
Just like last time, Elizabeth’s face is the only thing I see as I stare down at the end of the pistol.
Two loud bangs pierce through the fog in my head, causing me to jump. I brace myself for the all too familiar feeling of flesh being torn open by bullets, but it never comes. Looking up at Cal, his eyes are wide and mouth is slightly open. The gun falls from his hand right as he collapses to the ground. I roll over just before he crushes me with his weight.
With Cal face down, I see two pools of blood soaking his shirt. My attention quickly turns back to Elizabeth who still has the gun in her hand pointed at Cal. Her chest rises and falls at a rapid rate. She doesn’t look at me, just keeps staring at his lifeless body.
I get up, wincing in pain as I do. “Elizabeth,” I say gently. She doesn’t acknowledge me. I repeat myself. “Elizabeth. Look at me, sweetheart.”
She finally breaks out of her trance and focuses on me. With shaky hands, the gun falls from her grasp. “Oh, God,” she says.
“It’s okay.” I slowly approach her.
“I-I k-killed him, Alex.” Her hands go to her mouth as her eyes fill with tears. I wrap my arms around her and that’s her undoing as she buries her face in my chest and starts sobbing.
“I c-couldn’t let h-him do it. I couldn’t let him h-hurt you,” she murmurs through the fabric of my shirt.
“I know. You saved me, Elizabeth. You saved my life.” My hands rub up and down her back. A loud crash comes through the door, making us both jump.
“Police! Hands up!” I release my hold on her and put my hands in the air and she follows suit. The officer rushes over to Cal and checks for a pulse while two others grab us and start to put us in handcuffs.
Turner walks into the room followed by a couple colleagues. “These two are with me,” he says to the other cops in the room while gesturing to Elizabeth and I. They release their hold on us. “Agent Daniels, you guys alright?” he asks me.
“Yeah, we’re fine.”
“Agent Daniels?” I turn to my left and my heart drops. She’s backing up, shaking her head at me in disbelief.
Fuck.
ELIZABETH
AGENT?
At first I don’t know who this man is talking to until Alex answers him. I back up, needing to put distance between me and this—this stranger.
“Just let me explain,” he pleads. Regret is written all over his face, but for what? For lying or for getting caught?
“No.” I back up until I hit the door and have nowhere else to go. “You’re a cop?” I ask in shock.
He lets out a sigh. “No, I’m an undercover agent for the FBI.” He could’ve slapped me and I would’ve been less shocked than I am right now. How could I have been so stupid?
“What? You—you lied to me.” I’m disgusted right now. I feel like a fool. I feel used. “I don’t even know who you are!” I yell, anger quickly overshadowing the hurt.
He looks me in the eye. “Yes, you do, Elizabeth. It’s still me. I’m still the same guy.”
I shake my head again. He makes a move toward me, but I hold up my hand, stopping his movement. I don’t want him to touch me. “Don’t come near me. You could be lying right now! How would I know the difference? You’ve been doing it since the day we met! I don’t even know your real name for Christ sake!” As much as I try to hold it back, a single tear escapes, running down my face. I angrily wipe it away with the back of my hand.
“It’s Bryce Daniels.” He sounds defeated, but I don’t care about his feelings right now. He misled me, probably used me. I need air. I turn and open the door before walking outside. I have to get away from him. My lip quivers as I do my best to hold back and not cry. I won’t give him the satisfaction.
“Elizabeth! Wait!” he shouts after me.
I spin around quickly. “Who were you investigating? Cal?”
He looks over his shoulder at the first guy who came in who shakes his head at him. When he turns back toward me, he can’t even meet my eyes. “It’s still an open investigation, so I can’t—”
“Fuck you and all your goddamn secrets!” I shout, cutting him off. That gets his attention and he quickly looks up at me. “It’s pretty obvious you were after him though. Was I part of the plan too? Get close to the wife to see what she knows? It must’ve been an added bonus to fuck me,” I spit at him. An ache hits my heart, almost rendering me breathless. Oh God, I probably meant nothing to him. While I was baring my soul to him, he was lying to get ahead in this investigation.
My stomach clenches with the need to vomit. I’m going to be sick. He’s just another man to use me for his gain, except this is so much worse. At least with Cal I knew I was being used. I’m absolutely blindsided by this.
He takes on an affronted expression. “Is that what you really think of me? That I’d do that to you?”
“I don’t know what to think because you’re a liar, Alex—Bryce—whatever your name is! You’ve lied to my face the entire time I’ve known you. How am I supposed to know what was real and what wasn’t?” I cross my arms over my chest in a protective stance. I’ve got to shut down my emotions and put my guard back up.
He takes a step back, looking like I took the wind out of him. I try hard not to let his reaction affect me. I dig deep and hold on to my mask. It’s the only thing that will save me right now.
“What do you feel? Do you feel in your heart what we had—what we have—isn’t real?”
I stare straight through him, refusing to let him see the hurt that is crushing my soul. “Betrayal. That’s what I feel right now,” I reply in a monotone voice. He opens his mouth to say something, but I walk away.
“Mrs. Fitzgerald,” I hear someone call out. Turning around, it’s the guy that let the cat out of the bag to begin with. “We have some questions for you before you go. Then, if you’d like, someone can escort you to the hospital to see your mother.”
“My mother?” I ask quietly. “Why would she be in the hospital?” One glance at Bryce tells me this isn’t good. His eyes are closed in resignation.
“Someone broke into their home and assaulted her. She’s okay, but has been in the hospital for a few days to monitor her condition.”
I feel like all the air has been sucked from my body. No, this can’t be happening. “Did you know?” God, please say no. But before he even responds, I already know what his answer will be.
His eyes open and look at me with nothing but regret. “Yes.” My feet start carrying me forward on their own accord, and before I can stop myself, my palm lands on the side of his face. The sound of the smack is deafening as everyone falls silent. He looks back at me with tears in his eyes.
“No, don’t look at me like that! You don’t get to feel sorry for yourself, you bastard!” My fists fly up and pound into his chest over and over.
“I’m sorry,” he says. His remorse cuts through my blind rage as I continue to push and hit him.
“No, you’re not! You’re sorry you got caught. I hate you!” I scream at him. He doesn’t move to protect himself or block any of my punches. He takes it all and that just infuriates me more. I’m vaguely aware of someone’s arms wrapping around my waist from behind. They lift me up and start taking me away from him. I thrash around violently, trying to get loose. I’ve lost all touch with reality and the only thing I can see is anger, hurt, betrayal.
Heartbreak.
“Ma’am, you’re gonna have to calm down or we’ll be forced to handcuff you for everyone’s safety.” I stop fighting against his hold on me. My chest heaves up and down from the exertion. He releases his hold on me and turns me around to face him. “I’m Agent Turner. Why don’t we take this to the station, and you can see your mom when we’re done, okay?” He’s talking slowly, like I’m a scared child or something. I open my mouth to respond, but can’t form any words. My throat is raw from screaming, so I simply nod.
BRYCE
IT’S BEEN FIVE long days since I’ve seen Elizabeth. Five days since everything came crashing down and I was powerless to stop it. In that time I’ve been unable to think about anything other than her. So here I am, in my car on my way to see her. It’s about a three and a half hour drive from my place in Norfolk, Virginia to her house. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve almost turned the car around. Call me a chicken-shit, but the fear of rejection is real. I’m not sure if I can take it.
The media has hounded her relentlessly, which also worries me. It didn’t take them long to get wind of Cal’s death and the details around it. All of them are dying for the exclusive scoop on what exactly happened.
Bastards.
It seems like an eternity, but I finally turn down her street. As I get closer, I realize my original plan to walk up to her door isn’t going to work. News vans and reporters line the street and are camped out waiting for her. My grip tightens on the steering wheel. All I want to do is see my girl, and now I have another hurdle to jump over. I resist the urge to roll down my window and tell all of them to get the fuck out of here. Maneuvering around them, I pass her house. Looks like I’ll have to do this the old way.
Parking the car down on the street that runs along the back of her property, I get out of the car and look around. When I’m confident all is clear, I continue forward. I run down the side of someone’s house, and through their backyard that butts up against Elizabeth’s. There’s a large privacy wall, but it’s not going to stop me. With a little effort, I scale it and hop over to the other side. Checking my surroundings, I stay low and jog through the yard and up to the back door.
Standing here, hand raised and ready to knock on the door, I pause. Man, it’s crazy how unpredictable life can be. I think back to that first day when I was walking up her driveway. I had no idea this is how it would all end up. I came here to do a job and that was it. Now here I am, terrified to knock. God, when did I become such a pussy?
Taking a deep breath, I do my best to steady my nerves as I knock three times. An army of butterflies take flight in my stomach waiting for what feels like forever for her to answer the door. Moments before she does, I’m so anxious to see her, I start bouncing on the balls of my feet in anticipation. The door opens slowly, and while she’s just as beautiful as ever, the look on her face steals the breath from my lungs. And not in a good way. A cold, scowl marks her flawless features and she looks anything but pleased to see me.
“Hey, Elizabeth,” I start. I have intimate knowledge of this woman, so why the hell is a simple greeting so damn awkward?
“Agent Daniels,” she replies harshly.
“You can call me Bryce.” I hate how formal that sounded coming from her lips. It’s like we’re strangers.
“I’d prefer not to. What can I help you with?” She purses her lips together, seeming annoyed by my presence. Damn, it’s clear she despises me.
“Uh, yeah. Um . . .” I stutter, “I just wanted to check on you and see how you’re doing.” Smooth, Daniels. That didn’t sound lame or anything.
“I’m great.” Her walls are still firmly in place and they aren’t budging. She’s shutting me out and has no intention of letting me back in. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t hurt to be on the receiving end of her cold demeanor.
“Can I come in so we can talk?” My hands go into my pockets to keep from fidgeting.
“No.” She doesn’t elaborate. Just shuts me down. I look down and something catches my eye inside the door.
“What’s with all the boxes? Are you moving?” I ask.
“Yes,” she states. Again, no explanation, just confirmation that she’s leaving.
“Why?”
“There’s nothing keeping me here anymore. My husband is dead and I’m free to go wherever I want.” She shrugs nonchalantly like she hasn’t just kicked me in the balls.
“Where are you going?” I know I sound desperate, but I don’t care. She can’t leave.
“Does it matter?” She sounds like a robot and I hate it. I want to pull her to me and never let go. The need to remind her how great we were together is so strong I have to take a few steps back to keep from touching her.
“Look, I think you’re under the impression that I used you to gain something with this case, but that’s the furthest thing from the truth. Elizabeth, don’t you see that I couldn’t tell you?” I reach my hand out to touch her, but think better of it.
“I wanted to so many times and the guilt from lying constantly ate at me, but I wasn’t willing to risk your life. So if that makes me a lousy piece of shit, then so be it. But I won’t apologize for doing what I did to keep you safe. You can’t ask me to do that.”
Her green eyes stare into mine, the intensity between us is palpable and I’m waiting to see which one of us gives in first. “I believe you,” she says quietly. That one sentence sends hope soaring through me. “But I can’t be with you,” she finishes. And just like that, I completely deflate shattering into a million pieces.
“Why?” I choke out.
“You made me realize that I don’t have to settle for someone who isn’t honest with me. You had been lying to my face the whole time. You’re good at it. How am I supposed to be able to tell what’s real and what’s not if we got back together?” She can’t tell that I love her? That my feelings for her are real? I start to speak up, but she keeps going, further crushing me.
“I’m sorry, but I’m not settling and making exceptions for anyone anymore. I deserve more than that. I deserve a man who will be upfront with me and not make me question his motives. Because now I question yours. You say you didn’t use me to get to Cal, and a big part of me feels like you’re telling the truth, but our time together will forever be tainted by yo
ur lies. I spent too much time being in the dark with Cal, and look where that got me.” She shakes her head as she says, “I won’t do it again. I just can’t.” Her eyes cast downward to hide the tears pooling in them.
I can’t breathe. My lungs physically won’t take in any oxygen. My body feels like it’s failing me as what she said sinks in.
She thinks my lies are no better than Cal’s.
She might as well have ripped my heart out and stepped on it with her stiletto. My mouth opens and closes, trying to think of something to say, but the overwhelming feeling of utter destruction shuts out all coherent thoughts.
Finally, I find my voice. “The fact that you just compared me to that monster speaks volumes. To put me on the same level as Cal . . .” I trail off, shaking my head. I don’t even try to hide the emotion that’s probably written all over my face.
“Alex, that’s not what I meant. I me—”
“My name’s not Alex, it’s Bryce,” I cut her off. I need to get out of here before I say something I’ll regret. I don’t say another word as I turn around and leave the way I came. Part of me holds out hope she’ll stop me, but she doesn’t. With each step I take away from her, I go dead inside. Completely numb.
ELIZABETH
I MISS HIM.
I can’t help it. As much as I try to tell myself that I hate him, I don’t. He doesn’t make it easy either. Every day for the past two months he’s called or emailed me. I had to deactivate my account two weeks ago to keep from responding. My head tells me I need to forget about him, that he lied to me and will only hurt me more down the road. But my heart says I’m a fool and should talk to him. So far, my head has won.
My phone rings. Speak of the devil, I think to myself. It’s Bryce.
It’s so weird to call him that when I’ve always known him as Alex. It makes him feel like a stranger, and maybe he is. I never gave him the chance to show me who he really was, but I had to protect myself. When I made the decision to leave Cal, I vowed I would never be someone’s doormat. I would demand respect and be treated as an equal. Bryce’s secret identity slapped me in the face. I felt like an idiot and was taken completely off guard. To keep my promise to myself, I had no choice but to walk away from him.
Uncovered by Truth Page 16