by Andrea Thome
Laina threw her head back as hard as she could, landing a direct hit against Jeremy’s nose, the sickening crack a prelude to his anguished cry.
It worked.
He’d released her, grabbing at his face in pain. Laina’s eyes searched for the lost knife, finding it farther down the hall on the kitchen floor. She’d lunged for it, the handle within her reach, when Jeremy tackled her from behind, knocking her to the ground, and sending the knife scuttling farther out of reach. He viciously grabbed a handful of her hair, lifting her head and slamming it back down into the hardwood floor. Once. Twice.
Then darkness.
Time had passed—she wasn’t sure how much.
Was it a nightmare?
Laina struggled to open her eyes, her head pounding, her face sticky with something she couldn’t identify. Her mouth was gagged.
Blood. There’s blood on my face.
She tried to move her hands but couldn’t because they were tied behind her back. Her feet were bound at the ankles.
She wasn’t wearing any clothing except her bra and underwear.
“Open your eyes, Laina. Quit being so dramatic. It didn’t have to be like this.”
She stifled the sob that tried to escape her throat at the sound of his voice. Her eyes fluttered open, taking a moment to adjust. She was on her living room couch, the only light in the room coming from candles he’d lit while she’d been unconscious. Jeremy pulled up a chair and sat close, watching her with a dark scowl. Laina closed her eyes, pinching them shut in an effort to lose consciousness again.
“Goddamnit, I said open your eyes.”
His voice vibrated through her, and she did as she was told, tears spilling down her cheeks, her face pleading with him to stop.
“That’s better. I know you don’t want it to be this way either, baby. You’ve got to stop fighting this thing between us, Laina. We could be so good together. You just have to give me the chance to show you. Can you do that, Laina?” Jeremy’s jaw twitched, his eyes wild and glassy as he stared at her, waiting for her response.
Drugs. I know that look.
Laina decided to try a different strategy. There would be no reasoning with him. She nodded, taking a deep breath to calm her pounding heart. She whimpered softly, raising her chin toward him.
He smiled darkly. “I know you want me to remove that gag, but I need to make sure you’re going to be a good girl. Are you going to be a good girl, Laina?”
Jeremy ran his hand up her bare arm before tracing her breasts and letting his touch venture down along her stomach and toward her pantie line.
Laina willed herself to keep meeting his gaze, trying her best not to flinch at his vile touch.
“God, you’ve got me so hard right now. I can see that fire in your eyes. I’ll take the gag out, but if you make so much as a sound, I’m going to have to silence you. Do you understand?”
Laina nodded, arching her body up in an effort to encourage him.
Jeremy chuckled. “OK, I can see you’re coming around. I knew you’d be wild. That’s why we’re such a match, Laina. You may not realize it, but you need someone like me to keep you in line. That Logan guy is a pussy. I’ve been watching him with you. How could you pick someone so boring? Jesus. What a disappointment. I guess we all make mistakes.”
He stood, reaching down to take the gag from her mouth. Laina gasped for breath, licking her lips in an effort to create some moisture. “Water. Please, Jeremy?”
She smiled meekly, praying he’d show her that small kindness. Laina knew she had to find a way to free her hands if she was going to have any chance at all. The only way that would happen was if she appeared cooperative.
Jeremy stood, walking toward her liquor cabinet, where he’d previously helped himself. There was an open bottle of whiskey and two glasses, one of which had already been used. He poured two fingers of the amber liquid into the empty glass, carrying it over to her.
“I’ve got something better. You need to relax.” He lifted the crystal glass to her lips.
Laina let the sharp drink wet her lips, feeling the fiery path it burned as it slid down her throat. She coughed. Jeremy forced her to take a second sip, which she did, grateful for the almost-immediate numbing effect it had on her insides.
“That’s it. Chill out. You don’t know it yet, but we’re both going to enjoy this.” He set the glass down squarely on the end table. “Let me show you what you’ve been missing.”
Jeremy eyed her crudely, lifting his shirt off to reveal his tattooed chest and arms. He slowly unbuttoned his jeans, pausing only when she spoke.
“Wouldn’t it be better if you untied my hands? I’d like to touch you, if you’d let me.” Laina conjured everything inside of her to put forth an alluring expression, despite the fact that she was fighting back internal hysterics.
Jeremy studied her for a moment. “I don’t think you’ve earned that right yet. Show me you’re capable of cooperating, and I’ll think about it.”
He lowered his pants, stepping out of them and moving to climb on top of Laina. Just before he lowered himself over her, she brought her knees up as hard as she could, connecting them with certainty against his groin. Jeremy howled in pain, rolling off her and falling onto the floor in front of the couch. Laina struggled to sit up, screaming as loudly as she could.
She knew no one would hear her, but her instincts wouldn’t allow her to participate willingly any longer in Jeremy’s assault. She’d never be able to live with herself. So she screamed. Over and over until Jeremy finally regained his composure.
“Shut the fuck up, you stupid bitch. I warned you.” He stumbled into the kitchen, returning with the butcher knife that Laina loved so much clutched in his hand. “I warned you, and now you’re going to understand me.”
Laina shut her eyes and fell back on the couch, defeated. “No, son. You’re the one who’s going to understand.”
Laina’s eyes snapped open at the sound of a shotgun.
CHAPTER
TWENTY-FIVE
Janice Matthews hadn’t lived what anyone would have categorized as an easy life. She’d transitioned from a scrappy foster kid into an unwed teen mother in a matter of months, with no time left in between for living. She’d never for one moment considered giving up her son, not after her own experience in the system. Sure, the nurses had done their best to convince her that her baby would be adopted by a loving family, but she knew no one would protect and love her son the way she would. She’d needed Logan. He’d given her a reason to live. To work hard. She’d done whatever it took to make sure he was safe and cared for and had every chance that she’d always dreamed of but had never been offered.
It had been difficult. She was beautiful, and that had earned her the attention of men her whole life, both wanted and unwanted. She’d fought off the advances of more than one inappropriate foster care provider, but after she’d aged out of the system, she enjoyed the affection of some decent men, a few of them married, who’d offered to keep her and her son well cared for on the side, in exchange for her discretion. Janice’s good looks were her capital, and she’d learned how to use them effectively over the years. When one source dried up, she’d fluff and primp and find her next victim. She’d do anything for Logan. The ends justified the means. She’d been too preoccupied to find love. Her job had been to acquire security. And she’d rarely failed. Money, she understood. Love—romantic love anyway—well, that was just some piein-the-sky idea she didn’t have time to indulge in.
Meeting Buck Randolph had changed everything.
Janice had done her homework before coming to Aspen. She’d been clean and sober for over a year, having finally hit rock bottom after her falling-out with Logan over his sister’s inheritance. She’d already known with certainty that Willow was his sister. She hadn’t needed to wait for the DNA test to confirm it. The test was for Logan’s benefit. Janice knew her straight-and-narrow son would need that assurance. He was the one thing she hadn’t screwed up. She was shocked wh
en he’d lied to her about the results. She’d traveled to Aspen almost immediately to talk some sense into him, but had found out about Willow’s accident and Logan’s organ donation from the local paper.
The news had hit her like a punch in the gut.
Her son was protecting his sister. From Janice. His own mother.
She was toxic to Logan, and she’d realized it fully in that moment. It had sucked the will to live right out of her. She’d flown back east, and after a few months of feeling sorry for herself and indulging in more self-destructive behavior, she finally checked herself into a rehab facility and committed to do the work it took to start her life over again.
After nine months of sobriety, she’d been convinced she could have that life she’d always wanted. She’d written to her son monthly, apologizing for hurting him like she had, but he’d never responded. Her heart ached, not having a relationship with Logan, so she’d decided to pack up her life and move west. Even if Logan shunned her, Janice knew it would be enough for her to live closer to him. She needed to make sure he was all right.
She’d rented a small apartment and taken a job in the local bookstore. She kept mostly to herself, but any chance she got, she’d ask around town for information about Logan. She’d heard he’d purchased a ranch near his sister, which was how she’d found out about his new business partner.
Janice had recognized Buck immediately when he’d walked into the bookstore that afternoon a few months earlier. She’d already seen him from afar, but he was even more handsome up close, and Janice found herself flirting out of habit. She hadn’t lost her touch, and Buck asked her out after a few minutes of chatting. They began dating, and she’d started to feel hopeful about life again. Janice was still consumed by thoughts of a reconciliation with Logan, but she’d also started allowing herself to explore her growing feelings for Buck, and she wondered what kind of a future they could have together.
Three weeks earlier, they’d finally admitted that they loved each other, and while Janice had never been happier, she’d also been forced to acknowledge her rising panic. She’d known she’d have to find a way to tell Buck who she was, and why she was in Aspen. If she’d learned anything in recovery, it was that she had to start operating from a more genuine place in her life. She needed to be honest with Buck if they were going to have any chance at happiness.
When she’d admitted to him who she really was, Buck had been stunned, and it had broken her heart to know she’d hurt him. She’d considered running again, leaving Colorado before she could cause any more pain. She’d sat at a bar in Glenwood Springs for two and a half hours, staring at a glass of wine before she made herself get up and walk out without taking a sip. When she’d gotten home that evening, Buck had been waiting for her. They’d agreed that he would tell Logan and let the boy decide how they should handle things. Buck loved her, and it meant the world to Janice that he’d been willing to go to bat for her.
Logan hadn’t been immediately receptive to the idea of a reconciliation, but he’d told Buck that he’d take some time to think about it, which was more than she could have hoped for. She knew he was in a new relationship, and she hadn’t been able to help herself from asking around about Laina. She was a bit of a mystery to most folks, but from what Janice had been able to gather and from what Buck had said, Laina made Logan happy. Still, Janice had wanted to see for herself.
She’d slipped out that Saturday evening after Buck had fallen asleep, borrowing his truck to drive toward the east end of town. The street outside Laina’s house was quiet, so Janice parked along the road and turned the car off to wait. She wasn’t sure she’d be brave enough to knock on the door. As she sat contemplating, a second truck turned into Laina’s driveway before backing out and parking in front of her. She’d slouched down in the driver’s seat, watching as a dark-haired man got out of the pickup and walked around toward the back of Laina’s house. Janice watched as he disappeared into darkness, wondering who he was and what he was up to. She’d almost decided to get out and follow him when a small sports car pulled into the drive, and Laina climbed out, headed for her front porch.
The girl was beautiful: exotic-looking, with her short black hair and slender frame. Janice watched curiously as she unlocked the front door and stepped inside. The house remained dark for a bit before the light turned on, and Janice could see the male figure standing with his back to the front window. After a moment, he stepped quickly away and out of sight. Is it possible Laina is meeting another man while Logan is out of town? Buck had mentioned that her son was in Denver for a Rockies game with his and Laina’s friend Van, so she knew it couldn’t be him. Janice bristled at the idea that the girl was being duplicitous.
She’d been about to pull away a few minutes later, her mind convinced of what she’d seen, when she noticed the man carrying Laina in his arms, placing her gently on the couch in front of a large picture window.
So Laina is cheating on my son.
Janice’s hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, and she reached to turn the key halfway in the ignition, rolling down the window to get a better look. The front room was dimly lit, so she couldn’t see very well. It occurred to Janice that she should try to get some photographic evidence, in case Logan needed convincing. She grabbed her cell phone and opened the camera app before climbing out of the truck, closing the door softly behind her. She slipped up the front steps, peering into the window while she raised her phone to snap a photo.
That’s when she noticed that Laina was bound. And gagged.
Janice felt the rage bubble up inside her almost instantly. She ducked down, rushing back toward the truck to call 911, when she remembered that Buck kept an old shotgun in the tool chest in the bed of his truck. She prayed it was loaded, and she was checking to make sure that it was when she heard Laina let out a blood-curdling scream.
Janice cocked the rifle and took the porch steps two at a time. She tried the front door, which mercifully was unlocked, and stepped inside just in time to see the intruder walking toward Laina with a butcher knife in his hand.
“I warned you, and now you’re going to understand me.” The man took another step toward the couch at the same time Janice raised the rifle.
“No, son. You’re the one who’s going to understand.”
Janice aimed the gun as best she could, closed her eyes, and pulled the trigger.
The police arrived and took their statements, deciding pretty quickly that the shooting could be justified as self-defense. The ambulance had already taken Jeremy to the hospital, where he’d begin a long recovery, trying to figure out how he would live a life in prison with no recognizable genitalia left to work with. Considering it was the first time she’d ever shot a gun, Janice had hit the veritable bull’s-eye, rendering Jeremy a eunuch. It was a small consolation.
Laina was taken to the hospital too, as a precaution, and Janice rode along in the ambulance, still in shock. She’d told the girl she was Logan’s mother in the moments immediately following the shooting, but Laina had only nodded, shaking so violently that Janice had rushed to call the authorities before cutting the poor girl loose, sitting with her and holding her in her arms until the police arrived. They’d watched together in horror as Jeremy writhed on the floor in pain before finally passing out from excessive blood loss.
Once at the hospital, Janice paced in the waiting room, unsure of what to do. Should she call Buck? He’d know how to reach Logan. She wasn’t sure. She’d finally decided she wanted to talk to Laina first, to find out how she wanted to handle things, when the hospital doors whooshed open and Buck came rushing toward her, his eyes frantic.
“What in the hell happened, Jan? Are you OK? The sheriff called. Said my shotgun was used to shoot someone out at Laina’s place. I reached Logan on the way here, but he didn’t know anything about it. He and Van are rushing back from Denver now. What happened? What were you doing at Laina’s house in the middle of the night?”
She told him everything, a
nd to Buck’s credit, he sat and listened quietly, without interrupting her. When she’d finished, he took her into his arms, holding her against his chest. No one was more surprised than Jan when she started to sob uncontrollably. She hadn’t realized how scared she’d been. She’d acted on pure instinct, just as she’d had to do so many other times in her life. But unlike those other times, now she had someone to hold her and tell her it was all going to be OK.
“I love you, Jan, God help me. I love Logan too, but if I have to, I’ll choose you. Driving over here, I wasn’t sure who’d been shot. All I knew was that both you and my truck had gone missing. The thought of something happening to you tore me up. Don’t do that again, OK? Don’t leave me. Stay with me. Be mine.” He rubbed her back with his strong hands, holding her close.
Janice tried to steady her racking sobs, but it took some time. Buck’s words washed over her like a balm, erasing the evidence of the neglect and longing she’d been molded by her entire life. Finally exhausted, she surrendered, allowing herself to fully absorb his affection.
“I love you too, Buck. I’ll stay with you as long as you’ll have me.”
They held on to each other until the nurse interrupted them some time later.
“Excuse me, Ms. Matthews? Ms. Ming has asked to see you. You can come with me.”
Janice nodded, wiping her eyes and looking questioningly at Buck.
“It’s OK, honey. Go to Laina. She’ll need you to talk her through what happened. She’ll want to understand why you were there. She’s an amazing girl, Jan. If you get to know her, you’ll see why your son loves her so much.”
Janice considered his words as she made her way down the hall toward Laina’s room.
Laina had her head turned, staring out the window, when Janice paused at the door, knocking softly on the open threshold. Laina turned, giving Janice a meek smile before bursting into tears once again.
Janice rushed forward to grab her hand. “Oh, honey. I’m so sorry for what you went through. I hope what I’ve done hasn’t traumatized you even more.” She waited for Laina to stop crying, squeezing her hand in support.