by DC Renee
Let Me Go
Copyright 2014 DC Renee
Published by DC Renee at Smashwords
Smashwords Edition License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your enjoyment only, then please return to Smashwords.com or your favorite retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
Table of Contents
Dedication
Acknowledgements
Prologue
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
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Epilogue
Connect with DC Renee
Dedication
Everything I do, all the important and even insignificant events in my life, you are there with me, Babulya. Always and forever. I love you.
And to my Deda. You are missed.
Acknowledgements
Where do I even begin? ? I have to thank my family (immediate, aunts/uncles, cousins, and in-laws) for encouraging me and telling me how awesome I am (even if I’m not), especially my parents. They are my biggest fans and tell me I’m remarkable even if I write faster than they read. A special thank you to my sister, who is my muse, my co-writer, my most honest reviewer, and I can’t write a chapter without her approval. A big thank you to my mother-in-law, who literally likes everything I post/write. And of course, have to thank my hubby, who tells me all that time that I am going to be great and as long as I love writing, then that’s all that matters.
I can’t forget to thank my friends, especially those that are part of On the Same Page. They help fuel my passion for writing and reading.
Thank you to my fellow FL’ers, who bore with me when I began writing with only fan fics. Thank you to Jettie Woodruff (an incredible author), who told me I needed to get my stuff out there and shared her insight and connections with me. Thank you to Jenny Sims (Editing4Indies) for helping me edit this book. You went above and beyond to help me make this book the best it can be. Thank you so much to my beta readers Lauren Duncan and Jan Kinder. I valued all your suggestions! Thank you to Ashley Miller for all your help and just being your amazing self. Thank you to Rebecca Marie for your encouragement and support. Thank you to Carrie Sutton (Graphics by Carrie) for the awesome teasers and book promos. Thank you Suleika Santana and Vicky Stolte for trusting me and letting me do my first author takeover at their blog (All About Books), and another thank you to Suleika for her amazing teasers as well. Thank you to Rachael Orman and Dreams Come True Promotions for organizing all my book related promotions. you to Mary Beth Witkop and Red Coat PR for all the feedback and promoting. Thank you Amy Barbagallo and I Heart Romance Books for pimping me out like crazy with no strings attached. Thank you to the people in Sinfully Good Books for being a fantastic support group. Thank you to Sinful Thoughts Book Blog (thanks Christine!), Two ordinary girls and their books, and Author Groupies for letting me use their blogs to get the word out about myself.
Thank you to everyone that participated in the cover reveal, release day blitz, blog tour and ARC reads.
And the most important thank you is to all of you, the readers! To the blogs/bloggers that helped me spread the word and the passionate readers who found my book worthy of their reading time.
Prologue
His accuser. All he had to keep him company for the last six years was her name and a vague image in his mind; those details had been seared into his mind for him to mull over. He never got to see the realization dawn on her face when she comprehended that she had picked out the wrong guy. He wasn’t even sure if what she accused him of had truly happened to her. Whether she had gotten the wrong guy or had just focused on him and lied. He had a feeling it was the latter. And it was that gut feeling that burrowed its way into the depths of his soul and stewed there, waiting to erupt, waiting for the chance to explode.
And now that chance was about to present itself. He had planned it all perfectly. Finalized the details with precision, thinking of every little thing that could go wrong. But, then again, that was what he had done in his former life. He had been a doctor, one of the best. He graduated from Harvard at the top of his class, became one of the youngest doctors to lead a department, and went on to lead several departments. He was skilled; it was like second nature to him. The body was like a puzzle, waiting to be put back together, and he was a master at puzzles.
He was good looking, six feet tall with shockingly black hair that he always kept short but messy, deep green eyes, straight nose, strong jawline, and even perfect teeth, thanks to braces in junior high. He knew he was a looker and always used that to his advantage.
He had never had time for relationships, but he definitely loved the company of women. Lots of women. He never took advantage of a woman; his looks got him whatever he wanted or needed. He justified his actions because he was always up-front about the fact that he wasn’t looking for more than just sex. It didn’t stop some women from calling him every name in the book. So his womanizing reputation preceded him, but he didn’t care. He had a fantastic home in an upscale neighborhood and the respect of all his peers and friends. His parents, unfortunately, had died in a car accident while he was still in college, but he knew they were smiling down on him with pride. They had been wealthy, coming from “old money” that he had inherited, but his career also helped increase his worth. He was on top of the world until, one night after a thirty-six hour shift, he was awoken from his much needed sleep after only hours of snoozing by loud knocking on his door.
Rape. One damn word changed his life.
He was accused of rape. He lived alone, had no good alibi, and somehow his hair was found on the victim. How it got there, he could only guess. She had positively identified him from one of those line-ups like they show on the television. The prosecution had a flimsy case, but it seemed like the jury was hell-bent on convicting the good-looking, hard-working doctor. His memory of what she looked like was fuzzy at best, but that was probably his own imagination as the entire trial was a blur. His mind was reeling the entire time at the realization of his situation. He had the finest lawyers defending him and his sanity, spending an absurd amount of money. But in the end it wasn’t enough, he was still convicted of rape. Something he couldn’t ever fathom coming close to doing. He had seen the ugliness of such a crime numerous times in the hospital, and it left a person with not just physical scars but mental ones as well. The trial and subsequent prison time had left him with m
ental and physical scars of his own.
He was sentenced to twelve years, and all appeals were denied. He only served five years, getting out a year ago on good behavior. When he went to prison, he was a normal, sane person, never capable of truly hurting someone. But spending five years in prison, while being labeled a rapist, was enough to make anyone crack. The scars he now wore were the same as those he had seen in the hospital, both physical and mental. Inmates aren’t too keen on rapists, especially pretty-boy ones. And he learned that the hard way.
During that time in prison, he held onto the name of his accuser and that blurry image of her, his hatred increasing with each passing day and each brutal violation to his own body. She did this to him. And now she was going to know what it was like to have her life stripped from her and humiliated every day. Now, a year after his release, he was ready to make his move. Mason Tredwell was ready to find Kat Gingham.
Chapter 1
Kat didn't think that her life could get any worse. She couldn't find a job and didn't know where she was going to live. She didn't know what she was going to do. She thought she had it bad growing up, but this seemed worse. She had been abandoned in the bathroom of a gas station when she was only a few months old. She was told there was a note attached to the blanket wrapped around her that said, “Sorry, I just couldn’t take care of you.” She wasn’t sure if that was from her parents, but they could have at least dropped her off at a hospital or a fire department. A gas station bathroom, really? That was definitely a story that inspired confidence. She was disgusted that her parents dumped her at the first place they stopped even if they didn’t want her.
She ended up bouncing around from one foster home to another. But none of them were really that bad. There were always other children, but each foster home was pretty clean and she got lucky with the adults. She had heard enough horror stories to know that her foster parents always took care of her. But she was quiet and shy and could never really get attached to anyone. She didn’t really keep in touch with any of her dozens of foster siblings or even with her foster parents. And that was also probably why she was never adopted. She was the one in the corner looking so scared of her own shadow that no one wanted her.
She did pretty well in school. When she was eighteen, she got a job as a waitress to help pay for college, in addition to the tons of loans she was forced to take out. But she did it. She graduated with honors and a Bachelor’s in Social Work with a minor in psychology. Go figure, the quiet one actually wanted to help others. She was actually able to land a job pretty quickly after graduation and was doing great. She had a few friends from school, but no one she was particularly close with. She still couldn’t let anyone in. Not until Seth anyway.
Kat had been sitting at a coffee shop reading. She was a bookworm and took every opportunity she could to read. She read while she walked, while she watched television, and even while she ate. As she sat in the corner sipping her frilly coffee, entrenched in her book, she didn’t notice a guy approaching her table.
“Mind if I sit with you?” She jumped at his voice, almost spilling coffee on herself.
“Oh, sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. It’s just there are no more tables and I noticed this chair might be open.”
“Sorry, I don’t mean to be so jumpy. I just didn’t hear you,” she replied.
He smiled and she finally looked up at him. My, he was handsome. Light brown wavy hair, deep hazel eyes, a straight nose, good jawline, and very tall.
“Is that a yes?” he asked as she realized she was gawking.
“Oh, yes. Sorry, yes.”
“What are you reading?”
“Oh, just a romance novel.”
“A romantic, huh?”
“I just love reading,” she responded, but could feel her cheeks flush from just speaking with this guy.
“Do you like doing things other than reading? Say maybe dinner and a movie?”
“Yes, sure, who doesn’t?”
He chuckled and she thought she was going to faint at the sound of his soft voice.
“Do you have a boyfriend?”
“Nope.” She hesitated to answer him but she did; she never really had one. She dated occasionally, had some fun when she was drunk enough in college, but the thought that she never had a serious relationship did depress her some.
“So, in that case, forgive me for being so forthcoming, but I was asking if you would join me in having dinner and seeing a movie?”
“Why would you want to…oh!” Wow, she was definitely oblivious. The guy was asking her out. That handsome guy was asking out plain Kat. Of course she wanted to go on a date with Mr. Hunky. Who wouldn’t? “You are asking me on a date, aren’t you?”
He chuckled again. “Yes. I saw you sitting here and you were so engrossed in your book, but you would crinkle your nose or arch your eyebrow every so often. It was quite endearing and I wanted to learn more. I’m Seth by the way. And you are?”
“Kaitlyn, but I go by Kat.”
“Well, Kat, will you join me?”
“Yes.” She nodded as she spoke.
“Great!” They made plans after he got her number, and then he left.
They went on a date the following evening and ended up dating for over two years. He was charming and caring and loving and everything Kat needed in a guy. So, when he had a job opportunity arise two counties away, she went with him. She didn’t really have much to leave behind. Just some friends she wasn’t all that close with, and an apartment that wasn’t really a home. The only thing she was really leaving behind was the job she loved, but she figured she’d just find a new one.
Too bad Seth wasn’t all he seemed cracked up to be, and she found that out a little too late. Turned out he liked Kat because she was docile. He wanted someone to control, someone to be his personal secretary. But she didn’t see that until it was too late, thanks to his charms. Even with that, she probably would have stayed as long as he loved her. Her last straw was after she discovered that he was cheating on her. And here she was, six months later and still no job in a city she wasn’t familiar with. She tried to go back to waitressing, even though she felt like that would be putting her college education to waste. But apparently times were tough for everyone and she was out of luck.
She was almost through her measly savings, and although she had paid through the end of the month on her apartment, that only left a week to figure things out. She was smart, logical, and had worked hard all her life, so how in the heck was she in this situation? She had no one around whom she knew, loved, or even cared about. She had no job, no boyfriend, and now she was a week away from not having a place to live. She would trade it all to go back to those darn foster homes.
She was in one of those moods where one of her favorite books wouldn’t even calm her. She flitted around her apartment, trying to find something to do. She hoped that she would finally find a waitress position in the next week and not be forced to apply for government aid. She also contemplated finding a way to make it back home and beg for her old job back. Ugh! She couldn’t take much more. She swiped at her face, wiping the silent tears tracing down her cheeks. Giving in to the turmoil inside her, she set her head in her hands and sobbed, letting the feelings escape through her tears. After what seemed like an eternity of self-pity, she raised her head and looked around her small apartment as if she sensed something. No! She was not going to succumb to this; she would figure things out. She would fight through this like she had fought through everything in her life. She stood quickly on her still shaky legs, undermining her new-found bravado. She inhaled deeply, letting the courage soak in. Oh, who was she kidding? She would probably fail miserably, but at least she would do it trying. God! She needed a drink. Nope, she needed a whole bottle to wallow in her misery and chase away the sorrows. At least for tonight. Tomorrow, she would get a job, any job, and fix all this. But, for now, time to get wasted. She stomped toward her room with a wine bottle in hand and plopped onto the bed. As she guzz
led the two-buck chuck like it was hard liquor, she found herself getting lightheaded. She really was a lightweight. She tried to recall her favorite part of her favorite book as her mind began to feel fuzzy. It had something to do with the moment the main character realized she was falling in love with her nemesis. He had shown her some kindness when she was desperate and no one else was there for her. If only real life was that romantic. She fell into a restless sleep, hoping her dreams would take her away from her sour life.
Somewhere in her dreams, she saw the beautiful face of a haunted man, with the most stunning green eyes she had ever seen. She felt his strong arms encircle her and it felt so real, but in the back of her mind, she convinced herself it was just the alcohol. For a brief moment, she wondered if she was dreaming of the one. She barely felt the small prick on her arm before all went black and the man of her dreams faded.
Chapter 2
Kat could barely contain the groan as she resisted the urge to open her eyes. Her head was pounding, and her mouth felt like she had eaten sand. Even with her eyes closed, the light in the room was enough for her to wish she had never touched that bottle of wine. And she was supposed to go out into the world today and find a job. That wasn’t sounding too promising due to her new friend, Mr. Hangover. As her eyes finally opened, the room seemed different than last night. But then again, her vision was a little fuzzy right now. She tried to sit up when she realized one of her hands was in an awkward position and not budging. Her eyes shot above her head and quickly focused to see one of her hands was handcuffed to the bedpost. Before the inevitable panic had time to manifest, she heard a rich, rumbling voice. “Welcome to your new home.”
Her eyes shot to her left. “You,” was all she was able to make out as the panic was finally starting to bubble to the surface. It was Mr. Green Eyes from her dreams. She remembered them being the most riveting deep green pools, but now all she saw was a cool, distant fury. She opened her mouth to scream, but nothing came out as her hazy mind tried desperately to process what was going on. The last thing she remembered was falling asleep in bed after getting completely wasted. She didn’t feel sore and all her clothes were still on. That hopefully meant nothing sexual had occurred, thank God for that at least. But who was this guy, what did he want with her, why was she here, and how was she going to get away?