Surrender to Me (Boggy Creek Valley Book 4)

by Kelly Elliott

  Sighing, I closed my eyes and dropped my head. Greer was the first to come up and put her arm around me. “Hunter’s going to be there with you, Arabella. No one’s going to touch you.”

  “And if they do, I’ll push them in a closet and make sure they’ll never be able to have kids.”

  Greer gawked at Bree. “What?”

  Bree shrugged. “Don’t worry, I know how far I can go with the law. I won’t really rip them off, just make them feel like they’ve been ripped off. I’ve had practice with lots of douchebags in Boston.”

  I laughed, and Greer joined in.

  After what felt like a round of laughing, I conceded. “Fine. Just don’t make the eyeliner stick out like a sore thumb.”

  Brighton clasped at her heart. “Why must you wound me so deeply, Arabella Adams? This isn’t my first rodeo.”

  After what felt like a lifetime passed, Bree pulled me out of the chair I’d been sitting in. We walked to the mirror, and I gaped. “Is that really me?” I moved my hand lightly down my face and trailed a fingertip across my pink-tinted lips, slightly chuckling.

  Slapping my hand away, Bree said, “Don’t ruin your makeup!”

  Greer walked back in and gasped. I turned to see her dressed in jeans and a sweater with her hair up in a sloppy bun on top of her head. She looked beautiful, and the glow on her face revealed how happy she was.

  “Bree. Her hair! You’re officially doing my hair for my wedding,” Greer stated as she rushed over to look at me in the mirror. “Bella, have you seen the back?”

  I shook my head. “I can’t get past my face.”

  Greer rolled her eyes. “Please, your face has always been beautiful. Let’s talk about the hair.” She looked around for a mirror and found one sitting off to the side. “Look!”

  When I turned around and glanced in the handheld mirror, I stared in wonder. “How did you make it look like you intertwined my hair like that?”

  Bree beamed. “It’s so easy. You just place pieces underneath one another and keep doing it until you get a bun. I pulled some strands loose to give it a bit of a messy look. My hairdresser taught me how to do it for a Christmas party at my old law firm last year. Now, let’s get you dressed. Greer, wait until you see what she’s going to wear!”

  I thanked the stars above I was wearing a button-up, oversized shirt and vest and wouldn’t have to worry about pulling anything over my head. Once I was dressed, I walked out of the bathroom to find the bedroom empty. I could hear voices coming from downstairs, so I slipped on my black boots and the bowtie and left it hanging undone like Annie had.

  I couldn’t help but laugh when I heard Bree say, “You can both get away with wearing jeans and sweaters. You have men in your life. I, on the other hand, need to dress the part of a woman desperate for a one-night stand.”

  “Why?” Abby asked.

  “You know, speaking of that Christmas party,” Greer started, “you never did tell us what happened with that blind date.”

  “What blind date?” Abby asked as I stopped in the doorway. The three of them were so focused on the current conversation that they didn’t notice I had walked in.

  “Nothing,” Bree stated. “We’re not talking about him.”

  “Oh. My. Gawd. Something happened. Greer, why didn’t you tell us?”

  “Who’s us? And who are we not talking about?” Abby inquired in a confused voice.

  Greer rapid-fire responded, “Lacy—Willa’s sister—and me. The partner at Bree’s old law firm made her agree to attend the firm’s Christmas party with his son! What was his name? Was he cute? Did you kiss him? Did you sleep with him? Did you guys go out on a date?”

  Bree sighed.

  Greer wasn’t letting up. “Was he ugly? Divorced, like you said?”

  When Bree saw me, she rushed over. “You look hot as hell!”

  “Oh, Arabella, you look beautiful,” Abby said as she walked up and gave me a quick hug. “I’m so glad to see you going out, and especially with Hunter.”

  I felt my cheeks heat.

  Greer waved her hand in front of her face. “Wow, I think only you could make a white button-up shirt look sexy, Arabella.”

  “Thank you, guys, but it was all Brighton. She put the whole outfit together.”

  Bree shook her head. “I simply picked out the outfit. It’s your hot body it’s on.”

  “And did my makeup and hair,” I added with a smile.

  With a wide grin, Bree looked me up and down. “Hunter just may come in his pants at the first sight of you.”

  “Oh Lord, Bree,” Greer said with a laugh.

  “Whoa, holy shit! Arabella Adams. Girl, you are looking hot!” Candace said as she walked into the kitchen. Candace was the one who looked hot in a form-fitting dress that hugged her curvy body in all the right ways.

  Bree whistled. “I thought you had a boyfriend now, Candace?”

  She nodded and reached for a piece of cheddar on the cheese board Greer had made. She popped it into her mouth, then moaned in delight before she answered Bree. “I do. That doesn’t mean I can’t dress up when I’m going out. I say if you have a body that makes a man’s cock hard simply from one look, then you flaunt it. It’s your prerogative.”

  Bree lifted her hands. “Amen to that.”

  I cleared my throat and looked at Brighton. “So, what happened with the blind date?”

  “Blind date? What blind date?” Candace asked, tapping her fingertips together in front of her and wiggling her brows. “You had a blind date, Bree?”

  Bree shot Greer a dirty look. “That was over a year ago. It’s not important.”

  “Who was the guy?” Candace asked.

  Abby got Candace caught up while Greer kept pushing Bree to give us more answers.

  “Fine!” Bree yelled out. “He was fine as hell, we slept together that night, his name is—” She stopped for a moment, then went on. “His name is Luke. Yes, we dated, things didn’t work out, and that’s the end of the story.”

  All of us gaped at her.

  “Wait, you dated him, Bree? Why didn’t you say anything?” Greer asked.

  For the first time since I’d become friends with Brighton, I saw uncertainty in her eyes. Or maybe it was heartbreak. I walked up to her and took her hand in mine. “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to, Bree.”

  She blinked quickly, and the mood in the kitchen suddenly became serious.

  “What happened?” Greer asked softly.

  Bree let out a humorless laugh. “Let’s see…I fell in love with someone I can’t be with.”

  Gasps echoed throughout the kitchen.

  “You fell in love with him?” Abby asked. “How long did you guys date?”

  Bree looked away for a moment before her gaze focused back on the four of us staring at her. “Since the Christmas party the year before last, up until a couple of months ago.”

  “What?!” Greer shouted. “And you never told us?”

  “It’s complicated, and I really don’t want to talk about it.”

  “Does this have anything to do with the wedding dress you gave Willa?”

  Candace nearly choked. “Whoa, whoa, hold the fucking phone. Wedding dress?”

  Bree let out a growl from the back of her throat. “You’re on a roll tonight, Greer, and no, I met him after the wedding, remember?”

  Greer frowned. “Oh shoot. That’s right.”

  “I’m so confused right now,” Abby mumbled, and I nodded my head in agreement.

  At that moment, the doorbell rang and Hudson called out, “Hunter’s here!”

  Candace slowly shook her head and popped another piece of cheese into her month. “This convo is not over. I’m planning another girls’ night as soon as possible.”

  “ASAP,” Abby agreed.

  Greer and Bree exchanged a look, with Greer smiling and Bree shooting her daggers.

  “Come on, I’m dying to see what Hunter does when he sees you in that outfit,” Candace sta
ted. She linked her arm with mine and we strolled out of the kitchen. I glanced back over my shoulder and couldn’t help but notice that Greer and Bree had stayed behind.

  Hunter

  Four Hours Earlier

  I pulled up to the station and parked in my designated spot before letting Jack out. He was so well trained that I didn’t need to put him on a leash, especially since I was walking in from the back and not through the public entrance of the station.

  Our station wasn’t very big, considering Boggy Creek Valley was on the smaller side, but we did have twelve officers and now two K9 units, after Kyle got Cat.

  I made my way through the office and had to stop a few times for folks to give Jack a friendly hello hug.

  Once I got to the office I shared with Kyle, I walked in and shut the door behind me.

  “Arabella off shopping with Brighton?” Kyle asked.

  Nodding, I gave Jack a Kong filled with a peanut butter treat. Cat was passed out in her bed, clearly exhausted from what I guessed was a play session with some folks in the station.

  “Okay, what do we know?” I asked as I sat down at my desk and powered up my laptop.

  Kyle slid his chair over and put his laptop on my desk. “Well, like I told you earlier, the girl who was in the study group is named Sarah. The girl who found Arabella after the rape is Lori Dexter. Lori is actually a rape victim herself.”

  I closed my eyes and mumbled, “Christ.”

  Kyle continued, “She reported being raped by a guy her freshman year of college.”

  I rubbed at the back of my neck. “Fuck. That poor girl.”

  Kyle nodded. “From what Aiden told me, Arabella said Lori tried pretty hard to get her to report the rape, but she refused to. One of the reasons was because this jerk-off threatened both you and Arabella.”

  I felt my brows pull in tight. “What do you mean, he threatened us?”

  Scrubbing a hand down his face, Kyle said, “Dude, I’m not supposed to tell you.”

  “Kyle…”

  “But,” he went on, “I’m going to. Just don’t freak the fuck out, okay?”

  All I did was give him one nod.

  “He made it sound like his father could have you hurt. I’m pretty sure that’s another reason Arabella pushed you away. She didn’t want to see anything happen to you.”

  I felt a sharp pain in my chest, and I fought to control the sudden feeling of nausea that hit me. Of course, Arabella would put my safety above herself. That was just who she was. “That motherfucker.”

  “My thoughts exactly.”

  We stared at the laptop for a few moments before I said, “Do you have Lori’s contact info?”

  Kyle drew in a long, deep breath and then exhaled. “You know I do.”

  “Give it to me.”

  “Wait, Hunter, listen to me for just a second. I don’t think we should go running in, guns blazing. This woman has been through the same thing Arabella has, and she reported it. The case went to court and she was dragged through the wringer by the douchebag’s lawyer. The last thing she needs is for two men to come barging in asking her about a rape from nearly ten years ago.”

  I sighed and nodded. Kyle was right. I needed to calm the hell down. “How did it turn out?”

  “She won. Turns out a witness came forward after watching a video they’d taken on their phone. They were filming something from their apartment balcony, and inadvertently caught part of the rape on video.”

  My eyes went wide. “Are you serious?”

  “Yep. Guy’s still in jail.”

  “Thank God that person took the video to the police.”

  Kyle nodded. “So how do you think we should do this?”

  I thought for a moment as I stared out the window. I turned back to Kyle. “We tell her the truth.”

  He frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “I call her, tell her who I am, give her a shortened version of what happened, and tell her I want to find this guy.”

  Kyle let out a somber laugh. “Right. Okay, Hunter.”

  “I’m dead serious, Kyle.”

  His smile faded, and he leaned back in his chair and stared at me before he folded his arms over his chest. “You’re fucking kidding, right? She’s going to know why you want to find him, Hunter.”

  I shrugged.

  “What if she contacts Arabella?”

  “I don’t think she would, but I’ll let her know Bella has no idea I’m trying to find the guy. I’ll tell her I just want to talk to him.”

  Kyle let out gruff laugh.

  “What’s her number?”

  Sighing, he clicked a few buttons on his laptop and soon had Lori’s name and number pulled up. I picked up the telephone on my desk, knowing it would show up as Boggy Creek Valley Sheriff’s Office.

  “This should be interesting,” Kyle mused. He glanced back at a still-sleeping Cat on her bed while I put the phone on speaker.

  With each ring, my heart felt like it tumbled around in my chest. I tried to keep my breathing easy, but knowing I could possibly find out who’d raped Arabella had me fighting to stay calm.

  “Hello?”

  “Hi. My name is Hunter Turner, I’m a sheriff in Boggy Creek Valley, New Hampshire. I was wondering if I might be able to speak to Lori Dexter-Wright.”

  “I know who you are, Sheriff Turner. And I’m not surprised to be getting a call from you.”

  That had me raising my brows as Kyle and I exchanged a shocked look. “Is that right?”

  “Arabella talked about you a lot when I met her.”

  “Then I won’t beat around the bush, Lori. Arabella broke up with me about ten years ago, no reason or explanation at all.”

  Lori exhaled on the other end of the line. “I was afraid she’d do that.”

  “I only just recently found out she was raped. We’re back together now and taking things slow. She won’t tell me who the guy was. All I want to do is talk to him, and I was hoping you might be willing to give me something on him. First name, last name. Anything.”

  Lori let out a bitter laugh, and I felt my breath stall in my throat. She was most likely going to tell me to go to hell. I braced myself to hear she wasn’t going to help me, and for her to wish me a good night.

  “His name is Colby Wilkins.”

  Kyle nearly fell out of his seat as he quickly reached for a pen and piece of paper.

  “Colby Wilkins,” I repeated, letting the name roll around on my tongue.

  “He’s thirty-three, single, lives in Cape Elizabeth, and works for Miller and Miller Engineering in Portland, Maine. His father is a retired congressman, and lives right down the street from his beloved asshole of a son.”

  Kyle and I sat there, stunned again while we both stared at the telephone on my desk. I was positive my mouth was hanging open.

  “If you don’t mind me asking, how do you know so much about him?” I asked.

  “I made it my business to know where that shithead was at all times in case you, or someone close to Arabella, finally reached out. I had actually given up hope, though I still prayed that Arabella would report the rape at some point.”

  “Um, wow. I don’t really know what to say, Lori.”

  “You don’t have to say anything. I work as a therapist now, mostly with women who’ve been abused or raped. I see it every day, and every day I wish I could do more.”

  I sighed. “Thank you for making my job that much easier. I only want to—”

  “Hunter, I didn’t keep track of that jerk all these years for you to go and talk to him. Now, if you love Arabella—which I’m guessing you do or we wouldn’t be having this conversation—then you pay Mr. Wilkins a visit and make him regret what he did to her. I’m also going to guess Arabella isn’t the only woman he’s raped. The guy is scum. His father has bought him out of a few problems. Drugs was one of them, and a few years back another woman came forward stating that Colby had tried to rape her. His father paid her off, and she silently went away. So, yo
u see, I really don’t want you to simply talk to the guy. If you get my meaning.”

  Kyle jerked his head back and mouthed, I like her.

  “I can promise you,” I said, “he’s going to regret the day he ever laid a finger on the woman I love.”

  I heard her let out a breath before she cleared her throat. “Good. I’m glad to hear that. And let me know if there’s anything else I can do for Arabella. We kept in touch for a little bit, but she stopped writing to me after about two years. I think she got tired of me begging her to tell you the truth.”

  “Thank you for trying, Lori.”

  “Well, I wish she’d listened to me, but sometimes, for certain women, they’re so engulfed in their own shame and guilt that they can’t seem to find their way out. You take care of her, Hunter.”

  “I will.”

  “Take care of yourself, too, and good luck.”

  I swallowed the lump in my throat. “I will. And, Lori, are you…are you okay?”

  She sighed softly through the line. “Thank you for asking. I am.” It was clear she was telling the truth. I could hear the smile in her voice. “I’m married, and I’m expecting my first child in about three weeks. A little girl. We’re naming her Hope.”

  Smiling, I replied, “Congratulations.” A part of me felt such an overwhelming sense of relief to hear Lori say she’d been able to move on. If Lori could, then it gave me hope that Bella could as well.

  “Can I offer a piece of advice, Hunter?”

  “Yes, please.”

  I took the phone off speaker while Kyle pushed over to his desk with this laptop. I knew he was already getting busy finding out information on this Colby asshole.

  “I’m guessing since she just told you, you haven’t been together this whole time.”

  “No,” I said, rubbing at the back of my neck. “We haven’t.”

  “Has she dated anyone? I know when I was talking to her, she seemed to have locked herself up with those bees she loves so much.”

  “She hasn’t dated anyone, no. And she pretty much did just that—buried herself away until about two years ago.”

  “Damn,” Lori whispered. The line remained silent a moment before she said, “When I first started dating my husband, intimacy was hard for me. Just know…it’s not you. It’s not really you she’s pushing away, it’s the memories of one moment in her life that changed her. My husband was so patient with me, loved me. Gave me the control I needed in order to take things as slow or as fast as I wanted.”