He used every ounce of control he had to keep the worry and fury out of his expression. He didn’t glance at Greer. Just hearing her choppy breathing and whimpers of pain was enough to twist his insides in knots and build his sense of helplessness. Size and intimidation were not going to get Greer out of this. As if she didn’t have a death grip on Greer, Beckett asked indifferently.
“Brittany, what is going on?”
The sneer that appeared on Brittany’s face made Beckett suck in a startled breath. The hate on her face transformed her and warned him he was not dealing with the cheerleader he knew.
She spat out her disdain.
“I’ve known for three years that you would be the perfect boyfriend for me. I made sure I became head cheerleader. The head cheerleader always dates the quarterback!”
Brittany’s voice grew more hysterical with each word. She continued manically.
“The only progress I have made in three years was for you to know my name. I even stooped to shorter hems and more cleavage to direct your attention my way, but you remained as aloof as always. You fucked other cheerleaders and I was fine with that because I planned on being your final fuck. And then, then this bitch came along.”
Brittany sneered down at Greer and jerked a handful of hair, causing a whimper of pain to leave Greer. Brittany’s face lit up in satisfaction and her focus remained on Greer. Beckett used Brittany’s distraction to take a couple of small steps forward. He froze when Brittany looked up and continued her tirade.
“This Pollyanna slut arrives and captures your attention. The attention that should have been mine! I waited for three years and she has been here for two months. Two months!”
Brittany looked down at Greer and started screaming at her. “What do you have that I don’t?” When all Greer did was whimper, Brittany became even more irate. “Answer me, bitch.” And she shook Greer.
Beckett looked at Greer and his knees wobbled. Her neck was at an odd angle and her red, blotchy face was scrunched up in pain. Her eyes were closed and tears were running down her face as she tried to drag in the air.
He was done talking. If he didn’t do something Brittany would throw Greer over the railing. He took the last steps, reached out his hand and placed it on Brittany’s upper arm.
Brittany snapped her head up and raised a wild, unfocused, hatred filled gaze to him. Beckett quickly raised his hands in surrender but stayed where he was. If she decided to do anything, he was at least close enough to intercede. He kept his voice intimate and confident, with just a touch of cockiness.
“Brittany, it is very simple. I faked my attraction to Greer this whole time.”
Brittany narrowed her eyes, but at least they focused on him. “You must really think I am as stupid as everyone else, Beckett.”
Brittany didn’t take her eyes off of him, so he kept talking. This time with exasperation. “I’ve been forced to live with her and her blue-collar mom.”
Some of the wildness left Brittany’s eyes, but her grip didn’t ease. Beckett kept talking, keeping her attention on him.
“My dad brings home her mother and tells me to be nice, to both of them.” Beckett paused, and then derisively continued, “And when I didn’t, my dad threatened to disown me.”
Beckett held his breath as Brittany silently studied him. Keeping his voice low he kept talking.
“Think about it, Brittany. You didn’t even know I knew her the first few days of school. I didn’t want to be associated with her. I knew she would use me to get popular. There was no way I was going to make her life easy.”
Brittany’s gaze flittered away and a crease formed between her brows. Beckett felt the first stirrings of success, but he tamped it down and kept his attention firmly on Brittany.
“Why do you think I suddenly started giving her a ride to school?” He paused to let his question sink in before answering, “My dad made me.”
Brittany’s grip loosened and looked at him, searching his expression. Beckett plowed on.
“Before that, she was taking a bus and walking to school. My dad found out and blamed me.” Beckett deepened his voice to mimic his dad. “How could you let this happen? She is part of our family. Look after her or you will be as poor as she is. No truck, no credit card.”
Greer’s whimper sliced through him and it took all of his willpower to ignore her distress. Instead, he cautiously took a step forward. Maintaining eye contact with Brittany, he held his breath and slowly reached his hand out. When Brittany didn’t panic, he laid it over her hand that was in Greer’s hair. The knots in his stomach loosened when Brittany just continued to warily watch him.
“Tell me why you did all this.” Beckett deepened his voice. Brittany’s eyes darted between his hand and his eyes. He quirked an eyebrow.
“Come on, Brittany. Just you and me.” Beckett raised his other hand and held it out in front of him. With his heart thundering, he silently waited, keeping his cocky confidence in place. Thank god his hand was steady.
Brittany smiled gleefully and Beckett let out his breath. He had her. He just needed to finish it. “I was never with her Brittany.”
He raised his eyebrows and arrogantly crooked his finger for her to come to him.
Instead of letting go of Greer, Brittany pulled on her hair and leered down at her. The maliciousness she was showing made his body primed, ready to attack.
“I hope you heard that, little bitch. He was never actually yours. If I ever see you anywhere near him again, not even he can save you. Got it?”
Beckett watched in horror as pain flashed across Greer’s face and she yelled out. Brittany laughed gleefully and just as Beckett reached out to rip her from Greer, she turned. Brittany swung them back around so Greer was once again leaning precariously over the railing.
Greer was screaming and begging. Beckett lost his control as his panic increased.
“Brittany!”
Shit, that came out harsh, thankfully Brittany didn’t take exception. She raised her head and looked over her shoulder to Beckett. Her eyebrows were raised and Beckett couldn’t believe the calm she was displaying. It was like she was out for a breath of fresh air, completely oblivious to the fact that she was dangling Greer over the railing.
The need to rip them part made him clench his hands at his side. Swallowing his need to roar in order to get the hell away from Greer, he willed Brittany to listen to him.
“We are leaving. I have the limo out front.”
He deepened he voice suggestively. “It’s a great place to get to know each other.” Beckett placed his hand on the small of Brittany’s back and forced himself to wait.
Brittany had turned back to Greer and Beckett took the opportunity to look at Greer. Despair swept through him. She was wilting before his eyes. She wasn’t bracing her body as hard and her eyes were closed. Greer couldn’t wait any longer.
Beckett raised both of his hands and put them on either side of Brittany’s waist. At first, he felt Brittany tense, but he didn’t pull away. Instead, he tightened his grip and started to pull her to him.
Slowly he felt the tension leave Brittany and she started to relax into him. He willed Greer to hang on and put his mouth to Brittany’s ear.
“Come on, Brittany. I thought you wanted me? I like a woman who goes after what she wants. Forget the loser and let’s go.”
When he felt Brittany lean back further into him, he snuck his arms around her middle and took one tiny step back. When Brittany’s arms fell to her sides, he picked her up and away from Greer. He locked his arms around Brittany and watched Greer slide down the railing. She curled herself into a ball and started sobbing.
The sight and sound tore at his heart, but he knew if Brittany sensed not every ounce of his attention was on her she would lose it. And Brittany losing it meant she would take it out on Greer.
Getting Brittany out of Greer’s sight was his priority. He didn’t know what other tricks she had hidden and he didn’t want to find out. Beckett let go o
f Brittany and grabbed her hand. He was going to get her away from Greer.
He turned and started marching to the door. His grip shifted and he kept one hand on Brittany’s arm and the other locked around her hand. Brittany stumbled and in a whiny voice complained.
“Ouch, Beckett. You are hurting my arm.” Grimly, he thought about wrenching it behind her back so she could get a taste of her own damn medicine.
As soon as he got to a stone-faced Jason and Mark, they reached out and each took an arm. Beckett thankfully thrust Brittany toward them. Brittany looked at him in confusion, as she attempted to shrug off the hold on her arms.
Beckett grimly noted the white-knuckle grip Jason and Mark maintained and turned his attention to his surroundings. There was a small crowd forming behind Jason and Mark. Greer would hate being the center of attention. Luckily, the only lighting was dim path lights, so the fucking crowd of gawkers wouldn’t be able to see clearly.
He needed to get to Greer. Grimly he instructed Jason and Mark.
“Hold her and keep her here until the police arrive.”
“What! Why?” Brittany screeched and then she turned savage.
Mark and Jason both had two hands on her and they were maneuvering her wildly swinging body toward the wall. Satisfied they had her under control, Beckett turned away with her high-pitched screeching following him.
“Beckett, you stupid fucking asshole. You and your little bitch will pay for this. My daddy will never let me be in jail, and I…”
Grimly Beckett looked over his shoulder to find out why her rantings stopped. He noted with satisfaction a tie had been stuffed in her mouth and Jason’s hand pushing her head into the wall.
He slowed his pace as he approached a broken Greer. The sight of her curled up on the concrete with sobs racking her body tore the heart out of his chest. He dropped down on his hunches in front of her, so no one could see her. As soon as his hands touched her, she dropped her hands from her knees and started to scoot away from him.
Beckett smoothed her hair away from her face and whispered, “Greer, baby, it’s Beckett. I’m going to take care of you. I’m going to put my hands under you. It’s okay. It’s just me.”
He held his breath and slowly inched his hands under Greer and breathed a sigh of relief when she didn’t try and get away.
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Chapter 28
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All Greer could do was stare at the railing. Her mind kept picturing the flowers ten floors down rushing up to meet her, but the cold hard ground she was curled up on meant she was still safe.
The hand on her arm broke through her frozen terror. She scooted back, only to realize there was nowhere to go. From far away she heard a whimper and then there were warm hands engulfing her face. Beckett’s worried face filled her vision and she allowed her body to collapse back down.
His deep baritone voice washed over her and his words started running through her head. There was no way I was going to make her life easy... Look after her or you will be as poor as her… I was never with her.
Her whole body felt the same weightlessness as when she bent over the railing. A scream tore from her throat, and at the same time, her arms scrambled to find something to hang onto. Pure panic flooded her as every limb went crazy, into escape mode. No, no, no. This couldn’t happen again. What felt like shackles jerked her to a warm, hard body and the baritone was in her ear again.
“Greer.” The shackles tightened their hold. “Greer. Look at me. Look up.”
After gathering her courage, she listened to the slow, hard, tortured words. It was Beckett. She tensed, ready to scream, but the tortured look in his eyes made her pause.
“I won’t hurt you. I am getting you out of here.”
She couldn’t find the courage to look around her, but she did see a blur of people out of the corner of her eye and realized the shackles were Beckett’s arms. She couldn’t figure out why Beckett was helping her, but at the moment, she didn’t care.
She huddled into his chest and let everything go numb. A far away thought told her she shouldn’t be trusting Beckett, but her priority was to be out of here and that is all she could focus on right now. Greer simply let the numbness take over and she prayed Beckett would take her home.
««« »»»
Beckett breathed a little easier when Greer responded to his plea to stop struggling. The wildness hadn’t left her eyes and her limbs were still tense, but at least he didn’t have to worry about dropping her.
Greer’s head was furrowed as deep down into his chest as it could get and her arms were crossed over her chest. He could feel her tears through his shirt, but she was no longer making a sound.
Lexi appeared at his side as he was impatiently pushing the elevator button over and over. She looked at the broken Green huddled into him and looked up at him with red eyes.
“Was Brittany really trying to push her over the railing?”
He felt Greer lock up in his arms in response to Lexi’s tortured question. He nodded and tersely said as he gestured with his chin toward Greer. “Don’t talk about it.”
Lexi slowly nodded in understanding and took a deep breath. “I’m coming with you.”
Beckett didn’t respond, just carried Greer into the elevator. The silence was heavy as it carried them down to the first floor. Beckett breathed a sigh of relief, and a silent thank you that their limo had pulled up under the canopy.
The driver held the door open and he let Lexi slide in before he followed her. Greer didn’t move. She didn’t acknowledge with the slightest relaxation of her tense muscles that they had left the atrium.
Lexi and Beckett stared at each other in silent worry. Lexi reached her hand out, and gently put on top of Greer’s head. “Are you okay Greer?”
Greer’s response was to pull her head closer to her chest. Beckett tightened his grip and as Lexi pulled her hand away, they both just stared at Greer with worry and concern. They sat in silence and worry, praying for the trip to be over.
As much as Beckett wanted Greer to be home safe and sound, he was also worried about what was to come. He knew the cops would be coming and he was ashamed of his part in what had happened. As much as he dreaded telling his dad what happened, facing Vivian would be ten times worse, but he knew he needed to do it. He would do whatever he needed to make sure Greer became Greer again. This frightened, hollow, mute girl scared the hell out of him.
««« »»»
Greer felt like a disinterested observer looking down on her own body. She was vaguely aware of what was going on, but she couldn’t seem to muster up the will to do more. They were in the limo and she should pull away from Beckett, but couldn’t do it. It was jarring to realize that even after knowing what Beckett thought of her she still thought of his embrace as safety and comfort. This was the last time she would know this feeling with him, so she took the cowards way out and stayed put.
The next thing she became aware of was Beckett walking with her in his arms. Then she felt his chest rumble and she knew he was talking to someone. She couldn’t find the brain power to concentrate on what they were saying and just let Beckett’s warmth seep into her bone cold body.
“What the hell happened, Beckett?”
The loud, angry voice conjured up the sneering hostile situation she had just escaped from and the fear re-emerged. The need to escape made her lethargic limbs full of energy. She heard the safe voice close to her ear.
“Greer, stop.” Beckett’s soothing, safe voice penetrated, and her limbs stopped their frantic need to escape. He remained at full attention, waiting to see if the anger was still around.
“I’ll fill you in, Dad. Can you get Vivian? Have her come to Greer’s room.”
Yes. Mom. She wanted her mom.
When she felt a soft mattress under her, Greer reached up to lock her arms around Beckett’s neck. She knew it made no sense. He had betrayed her
, but he had gotten her here, to safety, and she wasn’t ready to let him go.
Then she heard it. “Greer, baby, what happened?” Vivian’s voice cracked and Greer threw herself at the soft depression she felt next to her.
Her eyes opened and through the haze, she met the concerned forest green eyes, that were identical to her own. Familiar, comforting arms wrapped around her and together they laid side by side. And when Vivian’s soft, warm hand cupped her face Greer sobbed out every worried, scared, and terrified feeling she’d had for the last three months. She no longer had the strength to hide them from her mom. She needed her.
“Greer, you are scaring me. Please tell me you are alright.”
Her mom’s shaky voice penetrated her brain and she nodded, only to keep crying.
“I love you, Greer. I don’t know what is going on, but we will get through this, just like everything else we have faced. Do you understand me?”
Her mom had never lied to her and the words soothed some of the turbulence inside of her. Slowly she ran out of tears and just enjoyed the feel of her mom’s arms and the silence and security around her.
Eventually, her mom murmured, “Okay, Greer, let’s get you out of these clothes.”
She mechanically did everything her mom asked. Sit up, turn, stand up, sit down. The last thing her mom did was turn down the covers and turn to her.
“Climb in, sweetie.”
Greer tensed at being alone in the dark. The nightmares were whirling around in her brain. The pictures of being held over the railing were already there, just waiting to escape in sleep. She didn’t want to be alone. She was scared to be alone. “Please don’t leave me.” She begged her mom.
Her mom’s face fell and tears filled her eyes. Instead of saying anything she climbed under the covers and held the sheet open for her. Greer eagerly climbed next to her mom and let the exhaustion her whole body was feeling claim her.
Battling Beckett Page 21