by Sands, K A
I grunted, the pain in my head overwhelming. The motion had somewhat pulled me away from the wall, so my stomach had room, some relief. I hadn’t been watching where her other hand had gone and that was a mistake. The tip of something sharp, not fingernails, dug into my neck and I felt blood trickle down the side of my throat, down my clavicle.
“What are you doing?” I half whispered, trying to figure out my next move. “You think hurting me is going to make Ryder happy? Lord, you’re delusional, you know that?”
“With you out of the picture, he’s gonna turn to me for comfort. He always does. The amount of times he runs back to me, Taylor. Years,” she snickered into my ear, “years. While you left him, he was running to me. You hear that? ME!” Her words repeated, like she didn’t even know what she was saying anymore.
“You’re not even married!”
“Oh, I know, darling. Not yet anyway. Soon enough.”
“Who hit you?” I tried a different tactic, she’d told me Ryder had beat her. Perhaps if I played on that thread, I’d snatch an opportunity.
“You thought it was him, huh?”
The implement dug further into my flesh, making me wince at the pain. All the lurid photographs flooded my mind when I squeezed my eyes shut, gritting my teeth.
Ryder was mine. Standing there in that bathroom I knew with certainty he was. That I was his. There was no way Alexa Carter was taking him away from me. Not now, not ever. I twisted in her hold, having been scared for my life two seconds before, the alternative didn’t bear thinking on. I wanted a life with the man I loved, the baby growing inside me. No one was getting in my way.
“He doesn’t love you. Never did.” Dangerous words to say to a mad woman, didn’t make them any less true. I had to make it clear, make her see sense before she did something neither of us could take back. “You don’t need to do this. You can walk away, forget all of this.”
Shaking her head wildly, Alexa’s grip loosened, and I took my chance, planting my feet and pushing out my hip, knocking her off balance. It wasn’t much but was enough to dislodge her hold on me, so I could pirouette away from her.
I had nothing to defend myself with, nothing in the bathroom I could pick up and throw, so I thrust myself toward the door, grabbing at the handle to make my escape. It was as far as I got before I was tugged back by my hair and put on my arse.
Alexa towered over me in ridiculously high heels and manic eyes searing into me. “He’s mine!”
Her voice was eerily sedate, but her manner gave her away, she was close to snapping. I didn’t want to be around when that happened. I crabbed backwards, hitting the tiled wall, the floor damp and cold beneath me. “Walk away,” I pleaded one last time.
Shouting came from beyond the closed door, banging against the wood, the lock engaged preventing anyone from coming in and saving my day. Alexa’s moves became frantic as she looked from the door to me then launched herself on top of me. My head whipped back with the force of her body connecting with mine and black stars dazed me momentarily. My teeth sank down into my bottom lip, blood filling my mouth and spilling down my chin.
When her weight landed on my belly, I flipped, I saw red. I clawed at her, gouging her face and kicking out my legs in an effort to catapult her from me. Jabbing my fingers anywhere they would connect, I went mad, screaming, trying to buck her from me. She may have been bigger than me, but I had more to lose and it wasn’t going to be on the floor of some random ladies’ room.
Grabbing for her hair, I pulled with all my might, her head now to my side. Trying to roll to get her under me, the traction to do so elusive, her weight too much. I stared into her eyes, she stared back, bellowing the word bitch at me over and over. Blood dripped from the corner of her eye and I grinned in satisfaction it wouldn’t just be me with flesh wounds. The moment was short lived as she banged my head against the wall again, black seeping into the corners of my vision, a sick feeling washing over me.
Then the weight was gone and instead of staring into dark, malicious eyes, Ryder’s scared ones washed over me as he hauled me into his arms. I cried out at the sudden movement, my head throbbing.
“Baby...” he murmured, “...baby.”
My sigh of relief was immense. I collapsed into his strong arms when they wrapped around me, ignoring the raised voices over his back, concentrating on the love I felt for this man. My man. His breath puffing through my hair was a comfort which didn’t last long.
Ryder drew away from me. “I need to let go, just for a second. I’ll be right back, I promise.”
Without waiting for an answer, he clambered across the floor, away from me, toward the commotion happening in the middle of the small room. My sister was straddling Alexa, pinning the woman’s arms above her head and shouting into her face. The sight was ugly, Laura livid, a side I’d never seen from her before.
I watched as Ryder towed Laura from Alexa, hands under her armpits as he lifted her, then held her so she couldn’t continue to attack Alexa on the floor. If he’d let her go, I wouldn’t have been too upset, but I understood his actions, he was trying to make things less difficult for my sister and I, not his ex-girlfriend. His concern was not for Alexa, not with the way he eyeballed her below him with utter contempt.
“What the fuck are you doing?” he hissed at her.
Sixteen
If you wanted to be inconspicuous, you didn’t wear red.
I’d clocked her the minute I looked down the street. The stupid bitch had on red jeans. Red jeans. And great big aviator sunglasses although it was raining, not a speck of sunshine in sight. Her disguise was piss poor and I shook my head in disbelief. Then I realised she was heading into the café where Taylor and Laura had gone. The colour of her jeans paled into insignificance, my urgency to get to the café a priority.
She ducked into the coffee shop not having seen me. I legged it down the street after her, following into the café not too much later than she did. Swiping my gaze around the room and seeing no sign of her, I spotted Laura sipping on coffee, her face in her phone. I didn’t bother making my way to her, Taylor wasn’t opposite her and there was no sign of Alexa.
“Woman in red jeans?” I shouted to alarmed customers as they looked at me, Laura’s head sprang up, her eyes wide when she saw me.
A bloke at a table off to my left shouted ‘over here, mate,’ and pointed to the corridor that had a plaque on the wall stating toilets with an exit sign next to it.
No fucking way.
I didn’t wait for Laura as I headed that way, running for the ladies’ room. I barged at the door, only to find it locked, proof enough I needed to be in there. Laura kicked at the door, standing by my side, shouting on Taylor as I shouted out my ex’s name.
“Alexa!” I banged again at the bathroom door, could hear muffled words behind it, I needed to get in. “Move!” I barked at Laura, who wisely stepped aside. I kicked the door at the height of the lock and shouted when the door swung open, banging against the wall behind.
The sight which greeted me was crippling and scary. Alexa was on top of Taylor, her hands beating at her while my girl gave the fight of her life. The snap of a head connecting with wall got me moving and I rushed toward the two women and dragging Alexa from Taylor, throwing her behind me as I crouched in front of my woman. Blood spilled from her lip, her hair becoming wet with the same, scratches gouged her cheeks and what looked like a superficial puncture wound marred her neck. Nothing looked life threatening but angered me all the same. She was smiling up at me, with a faraway dazed look in her eyes.
“Baby...” I murmured, “...baby.” I looked her over again, making sure she was at least all right for now. “I need to let go, just for a second. I’ll be right back, I promise.”
Turning away from her, I roared. “Alexa!” Hauling myself over to Laura and Alexa fighting on the floor, I dragged Laura off the woman spitting fire on the floor and threw her in Taylor’s direction.
“Fuck you, Ryder!” Alexa screamed.
“You already did, bitch. Nothing left to fuck with. What the hell are you doing?” I’d never been so angry in my life, even when I’d seen a dead Adam draped across Laura’s bed in her burning house. Even through all the times I’d carted Lucca to hospital to get stitched up after his ex-wife had gone ten rounds on him. This was different, very different. I wasn’t budging until she explained herself.
“You ruined my life,” she ground out. “I loved you. You loved me.”
“I never loved you,” I laughed. “Never lied to you either.” I shot a glance to the corner of the room, making sure Laura and Taylor had each other. Satisfied they did, I turned my thoughts back to the excuse of a woman lying on the floor below me.
I didn’t want to reason with this woman, there was simply nothing to justify her actions no matter how rotten I’d been to her in the past. Taylor was innocent, nothing to do with our history. All I wanted to do was spit fire and brimstone at the cunt and maybe lock her in a room and throw away the key. I felt no compassion; couldn’t even feel bad for the way I’d been. This woman was as vile as Stella, except managed to hide it better.
“Oh, but I was good enough to fuck for years?”
“Yeah. Fucking, Alexa,” I moved my face closer to her, “fucking,” I repeated.
“Bastard.” Her fist came up and connected perfectly with my chin, a weak attempt.
I bent over, getting right in her face, my mouth mere millimetres from hers. “Worst lay I ever fucking had.” She went to hit me again, but I dodged enough for it not to connect. I wasn’t finished. “How could you possibly think you could ever compete with a woman like Taylor? She’s miles ahead of you in every conceivable way. I love her. Only ever her and you made a huge mistake fucking with what’s mine.”
Alexa spat in my face and I reeled back in disgust. “Filthy bitch.”
The urge to smack her back came over me. I wasn’t that sort of man no matter how much my hands itched to hit her. If I did, I’d be sinking to her level and I didn’t fancy wallowing in jail when I had a woman to take home the minute I was done here.
“Taylor and that sister of hers are goddamned whores. You deserve each other.”
Laura lunged with lightning speed, my hand grabbing her arm and pushing her back to the corner, my stern look making her stay where I’d put her.
“Yeah,” I cackled, turning back to Alexa. “You see what I have, don’t you? Can’t stand it.” She managed to rile me up in a way no one had since my father. “You’re done, Alexa. You come near my family again and I’ll make sure it’s the last thing you do. I’ll make that kid your supposed to have, an orphan. I promise you.”
Her face went sheet white at the mention of her kid. It was true, she did have a child. “Ah, you do have a kid then?” She avoided eye contact with me and I’d found her soft spot, her kryptonite. “He’s not mine. Is he?”
She didn’t need to answer, I already knew the truth, so did Taylor. The DNA profile had been bullshit, the DI having already stated and proven as much. Most of the envelope had been utter bollocks.
“Where’s your sidekick?”
Alexa was gone, she wasn’t going to open her mouth anymore. I simply stood staring at her and waited. Not five minutes later, two uniformed policemen burst into the toilets, one with a taser drawn. I instantly held my hands in the air and stepped in front of the girls in the corner. Alexa didn’t move but did tip her chin at me.
“Are you okay, ma’am?” The shorter of the two policemen asked as he knelt next to her. I watched the other policeman tuck his taser into a pocket on his vest and then scan the small room, catching sight of Taylor and Laura behind me.
“Sir, please don’t move.”
I looked to where he peered next and noticed a bloodied nail file in the corner of a stall. Jesus Christ. Nodding my head in understanding, I kept my hands in the air. “You need to contact DI Salisbury and let him know you have Alexa Carter. There’s a warrant for her.”
“Let us do our job, sir. We’ll have you sorted out as soon as we can. Is everyone okay? Do any of you need medical help?”
“No, it’s not deep. I’m fine.” Taylor spoke up, her voice shaky.
“Okay. You want to tell us why you’re all in the ladies’ room and what’s going on, sir?”
I didn’t, I really didn’t. “I could do with my lawyer first.” I gave him an apologetic smile.
“The name of the DI again, please?”
I repeated the name a second time and which station I thought he’d come from.
“And the woman on the floor, sir. Who is she?” He pointed to Alexa, then Taylor and Laura. “And the other two?”
“Alexa Carter. She’s been stalking both me and my girlfriend. My pregnant girlfriend. There is a warrant.” I said it again, wanting the fuck out of there.
A third officer came into the toilet then and spoke into the other’s ear quietly.
“You can put your hands down now, sir. But please don’t move.”
I did as I was told as he left the toilet, the newcomer taking in the scene around him. He glared at me and I glared right on back.
The fucker had no idea.
* * *
Three hours in the police station. I was a grumpy fuck and wanted back to Beaufort. Watching my woman wince with each prod from the medical officer, and listening to her recount the whole ordeal twice over, had me itching my skin and wanting to gut Alexa Carter.
Taylor had been coerced into getting checked out at the police station. She’d refused an ambulance and a trip to hospital, no matter how many times I grew cross with her for being stubborn. A concerned Detective Salisbury insisted he wouldn’t interview Taylor until she’d been checked out, even if it was only by the duty officer, who’d had some medical training. She’d finally agreed.
Her bang to the head had not been as bad as I’d thought, the cut mere millimetres. The amount of blood that had matted her hair had alarmed me, but once cleaned, it looked far better, no stitches required. The same with the small puncture wound to her neck.
My poor baby looked awful; battered, bruised and scratched. I’d resisted the urge to kiss her several times, fearing I’d hurt her since her split lip looked painfully tender. There’d be time for a million and more kisses, I reminded myself. My heart had lurched and whooped when Taylor assured me baby was fine, kicking away nicely, and nothing was giving her any apprehension.
We’d then been escorted to an interrogation room, which got my goat up. It was far too formal, too intimidating, considering the circumstances. I refused to leave Taylor’s side, and the way she held fast to my hand the entire time gave me comfort I’d done the right thing. Lucca had driven from Beaufort, most likely breaking speed limits judging how quickly he’d arrived. It meant I only had to concentrate on Taylor, Laura could lean on Lucca. To say my man was furious, was putting it mildly.
So yeah, three hours recounting Taylor’s hellish morning then we were free to go. None of us saw another peek of Alexa.
“Baby, come here.” The moment I stepped inside Lucca’s house, I grabbed for Taylor and cuddled her close as gently as I could.
“I won’t break, Ryder.”
No, she wouldn’t. She was the toughest person I knew. Holding hands, we went through to the kitchen and all four of us hitched up onto the barstools around the kitchen island in the middle of the room.
“Everyone okay?” Lucca asked as his eyes trailed over us one at a time, lingering on Taylor. His brows scrunched, and he heaved out a sigh. “This is a fucking mess.”
Laura reached out her hand and clasped it over the top of Lucca’s. “We’re okay. I swear.” Her smile was just for him.
“DI Salisbury assured me there’d be no further threats from Alexa. They have an interim hearing in the morning, she’s unlikely to get bail because she breached the restraining order.” I brought both Lucca and Laura up to speed with what the police and the detective had told us once we’d finished the interview.
“Was that
actually served to her?” Lucca asked, confused.
“Yes,” Taylor said. “Last week. The police think it’s why she ramped up her...stalking”
“Why weren’t we told it was served?” Laura asked the same question that had run through my head more than once but had neglected to ask at the time.
“No idea. They’d probably cite paperwork or man hours or some other bullshit.” Lucca grumbled. “You think she’ll give up Stella?”
“Not likely. That bitch will have dirt on her, so she keeps her trap shut, I can guarantee it.”
“So, she sits in a jail cell until a court hearing? Then what? They slap her with a fine and community service and she’s free to come at my sister again when she’s out?” I could hear the anger tumbling out of Laura’s mouth. She worried her bottom lip between her teeth while she flopped her head to Lucca’s shoulder.
Pinching the bridge of my nose, I had no answer. “I don’t know. She has a kid, right? Surely that has to factor into her keeping her nose clean?”
Taylor stood abruptly. “I don’t care. I’ll deal with it if and when it happens. I’m not living with the what if’s and paranoia. We did that for too long, I won’t do it a second longer. I want to come home, live life. Be happy. No one’s taking from me ever again.” She walked across the kitchen, pausing at the door. “My life belongs to me and no one is going to dictate how I live it. The next person that comes after me or mine is going to be real fucking sorry.”
Well then, there you have it!
Didn’t I say she was the strongest person I knew?
I hopped off my stool, grinning at Lucca and Laura. “And that is my future wife.”
Following Taylor out of the kitchen, I herded her up the stairs, bypassing the guest bedroom she’d been using, and ushering her towards the room I’d been staying in for the last few weeks. There was no complaint from her when I closed the door behind us and leaned against it. I decided right there and then she’d never sleep in another room without me.