by Tee Smith
“Did you think I would let you keep her from me forever Hugh?” she hissed out. Asha felt Mr Arnold tense behind her.
“Annie...” he pleaded, his voice soft.
“All these years Hugh. You have tormented me, tortured me. Tortured all of us.”
Asha's eyes flashed to Xavier, his eyes darted between his parents. Shock and confusion written all over his beautiful face.
“You stupid bitch, what did you think? What did you honestly think? Huh? You didn't deserve her. She was too good for you.”
“So you kept her away from her family? You took her from the boy she loved? From Xavier?” her voice raised but was still strangely calm.
“Mum?” Xavier called. All eyes but his mother’s turned to him, she kept her eyes and her gun pointed directly at her husband.
“Mum? Did you know he had Maddie?” Asha could hear tears in Xavier's voice.
“This bastard,” she nudged towards Mr Arnold with her gun. “He took her, I knew he had her, yes. He did it to hurt me.”
Mr Arnold sneered, “You really thought you were so smart didn't you? You and Frank. Both of you. You thought you could get away with it.” His voice rose, booming in Asha's ear. “Well, you were wrong. If I had it my way, Frank would be rotting in jail now, but he's not is he? Let me tell you a thing or two Annie,” he hissed her name full of venom. “I knew all along about you and that no good piece of shit. He would come to our house, pretending to be my friend.” He was shaking, his grip getting tighter on Asha and the knife was starting to dig into her skin. “All the while, you two were just trying to get me out of the way so you could run off and play happy families.”
“You are so wrong Hugh,” tears ran down Annie's face. “I never loved any other man but you.”
“Liar,” he yelled, making Asha's ears ring. “The only person who ever loved me was Maddie.”
“Dad?” Xavier said in a broken voice.
“And so you took her away from me-- did that make her love you more Hugh?” Mrs Arnold went on, ignoring Xavier.
“I kept her away from you, away from you and your evil lies Annie. You would have let her marry that boy, she would have gone off with him and we would never have seen her again.”
“No Hugh, no you're wrong.”
“I had to keep her,” he breathed out on a sob. “She was all I had to love me.”
“You have to let her go now, Hugh.”
Asha felt the knife cutting into her skin and a small trickle of warm blood ran down the side of her throat, she tried to keep her breathing shallow.
“It's over Hugh.”
“It's not fucking over, you will have to kill me before it's over,” he sneered at her. “And we all know you haven’t got the guts to do that, you’re a weak pathetic woman. I'm glad I took Maddie away from you. You will never...”
He never got the chance to finish, the gun went off, and the noise was unlike anything Asha had ever heard. The whole room seemed to shake, her body went slack and she fell to the floor, covered in blood and chunky bits of matter, she did not care to think about. As she regained her bearings and noise began filtering back into her ears, she turned to see Xavier on his knees, on the floor beside her. Looking at her, then his father's lifeless body lying on the floor, one whole side of his face was gone as was the back of his skull. His body was whole, but his head was shattered and no longer recognisable. Mrs Arnold stood beside them looking down at the scene, gun still in hand.
“I'm so sorry Xavier,” she whispered as tears rolled down her cheeks. “Your father is right, I am weak and pathetic. I should have done this years ago. Please get help for Maddie and tell her I love her.” She looked sadly at her daughter, then back at Xavier.
“I've got to know Mum, did you know all along?” Xavier had tears streaming down his face and it broke Asha's heart to see him like that.
“Only the last few years,” she replied pitifully. “It's over for me now, I did this for you both. I couldn't go to my grave, knowing you and Maddie would never be reunited. When he took Asha as well...” she shook her head and found Asha's eyes, “I'm so sorry Asha, please look after my boy.”
Asha clung to the wall trying to steady herself, she managed to drag herself to her feet. Xavier stayed on the floor, next to his father's lifeless body staring up at his mother. Annie turned the gun and pointed it towards her own head.
“No,” Xavier screamed.
Without thought, Asha lunged forward. There was a tremendous blast, quickly followed by another. She saw Annie's body burst open before her eyes, blood exploding from her as she fell to the floor.
Before her addled brain could comprehend what was happening she became aware of pain unlike anything she had felt before radiating through her and she could feel her own body falling, reaching out she tried to steady herself, but her legs gave way. Somewhere in the distance, she could hear, a gut-wrenching scream, was it her or was it someone else? She couldn't be sure. A white heat overtook her and then blackness.
Chapter 31
“ASHA, ASHA,” SHE COULD HEAR someone calling her name, somewhere off in the distance. She tried to concentrate, but it hurt. The blackness offered no pain, she wanted the blackness.
“Asha, baby, c'mon, stay with me. Don't you dare go as well.”
Xavier? Was it Xavier's voice? No. She was alone, stuck in this room with Mr Arnold. Chained to the bed, that’s why her shoulder hurt. Wasn’t it?
“Come on sweetheart, that’s the way, open your eyes.”
It was Xavier's voice. How was he here? She blinked a few times and sure enough there he was, as if by some miracle. She was laying in his arms looking up into those eyes she had come to know and love so much. Such a beautiful man.
“Xay?” she tried to speak but it hurt so much. Everything hurt.
“Its ok baby,” he soothed. “Help is on the way. You just stay with me okay?”
Help? Why did they need help? Everything was so confused. Maddie? She suddenly remembered Maddie.
“Maddie?” she forced herself to ask, she had to know Maddie was alright.
“She’s okay baby, you did good. We're going to get you both to the hospital.”
Why did she need a hospital? She closed her eyes and a flash of memory came flooding back. She remembered blood. Someone had been shot. Mr Arnold? Yes. It was over. After that, she couldn't remember anything. She remembered Xavier and his mum coming in. The monster had held a knife to her throat. He had cut her, she could feel pain in her neck and tried to raise her hand, but felt more pain, like fire, shot through her body and she cried out in agony.
“It’s okay sweetheart, don't move.”
She opened her eyes and looked into his. Only days ago she thought she might not see him again. She thought she might not live long enough to tell him what he meant to her. She had to tell him now, even if it hurt, and it hurt like hell.
“Xave...”
“Yeah I'm here baby, right here with you, I'm not leaving you. Can you hear that? The ambulance is on its way, it will be here soon.”
She had to get it out, she had to tell him now before the ambulance arrived. Once they were there it would be too late.
“Xave...” she tried again her voice was weak, her throat felt closed. “Xavier, I love you.”
He didn't move. Had he even heard her? He wasn't looking at her. She had told him once that she never wanted to have anyone tell her they loved her if they did not mean it. She had not told him she loved him, in expectation of a reciprocating answer, but it was not words she used lightly. After everything she had been through, she really meant it. She loved Xavier with everything she had and now, his lack of response made her heart hurt.
***
There were voices everywhere. Paramedics were at her side, Xavier was gone. She felt searing pain, her whole body hurt, she was being lifted onto a gurney. Someone said something about morphine, a warm sensation rushed through her body and the pain subsided.
“Ash, I'm here sweetheart, I'
m right here,” she turned her head and saw Xavier beside her. A small smile came to her lips, he really was there. Her Xavier.
“These guys are going to take you to hospital okay? I've called Patrick and Joanie, they will be there when you get there. I'll be there as soon as I can.”
Asha was confused, why would he be leaving her now? “But what? Where?” she managed to get out, still struggling with her words.
“I’ve just got to go with the police for a while okay? I have to give them a statement,” he squeezed her hand. “I'll be with you soon. It's all over now baby girl. It's going to be okay.”
His face hovered above hers, he looked so sad. He offered her a reassuring smile, but there was sorrow in his eyes. His soft lips gently brushed over hers then he brought them down beside her face.
“I love you too baby,” he whispered, just loud enough for only her to hear. “I'll be with you as soon as I can, I promise. Then I'm never leaving you again.”
Then she was being wheeled away and bundled into the back of the ambulance. Nothing else in the world mattered in that moment. Xavier loved her. He had heard her. Her heart swelled so much, she thought it might burst. He had just witnessed the death of both his parents and found out his dad had kidnapped and kept his sister from him for six long years. This was not going to be easy for him to get through. But they loved each other. She would be there for him, and he for her. They could get through this together, she just knew they would.
THE END
Epilogue
“ARE YOU READY GORGEOUS?” XAVIER asked as Asha settled into her wheelchair. “She's been asking for you for days.”
Asha had taken some time to wake after the surgery to mend her shoulder. The bullet from Annie Arnold’s gun had torn through ligaments, muscle and bone. It would take a while to heal and she would be off work for months. The stab wound to her abdomen had caused a nasty infection, she should have had antibiotics straight away, but she had saved all she had for Maddie. She would mend, but for now, the important thing was she was alive and so was Maddie.
Asha could barely contain her excitement at finally getting to talk to Maddie. The doctors had told her Maddie was lucky to be alive when she arrived at the hospital. She had double pneumonia and sepsis. If she had not received the intravenous antibiotics and fluid that Asha had administered, she most certainly would not have made it. Asha had saved her life.
Xavier explained how Frank had been instrumental in alerting Xavier to something strange going on with his parents. Annie Arnold had rang him, frantic about her husband's change of behaviour and his refusal to bail Xavier out of jail.
Asha had no recollection of the shooting, which she figured was merciful. She did, however, remember Xavier telling her he loved her for the first time, right before being wheeled off to the ambulance.
“Well hello there,” she beamed at Maddie from her wheelchair.
Maddie's face broke into a beautiful smile, Asha had seen that smile before, but never on Maddie. She looked up to the man she loved with the matching smile. Right then and there she knew, everything was going to be alright. They had just collected a few more scars.
Thank you for reading Collecting Scars. If you enjoyed it, I would love for you to leave me a review on Amazon, Goodreads or anywhere else you see fit.
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Acknowledgements
Now for my Oscars speech.
I would like to thank Christa Holland from Paper and Sage for working with me to make the cover art, which I love.
Then Jen Burson, for her patience in editing my work.
To Alexandria Bishop who is not only a fabulous author but worked hard to format my work for me as well. Thank you.
Kellie from Nove studio also for her fabulous artwork, but her friendship and support as well.
To my family, my wonderful, long suffering supportive husband Mal, I love you so very much, thank you for believing in me and encouraging me to do this.
My children, Jessica, Jake, Beth and Odin for putting up with Mum's long hours at the computer. I love you guys. My sister Suzie, for her love and support.
Nat, where would I be without Nat? Thank you for talking me down of the ledge on more than one occasion. I love you, you are an amazing human being.
And last but of course in no way least my Newbs, you all know who you are, you guys rock! A special mention of course to Claire and Jamie, thank you so much for all your support ladies. Love you all.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Epilogue
Acknowledgements