Clinging to Rapture

by Megan D. Martin

  “Someone tried to murder you, Julia.” The lethal finality in his voice made me shiver. “Someone tried to take you away…” His voice cracked and he looked away from me. He cleared his throat. “I’m going to find out who did this to you.” He leveled his gaze on me. “I’m going to find the motherfucker who hurt you.” He brushed his fingertips against my cheek. Warmth bloomed beneath my skin. “And I’m going to fucking rip him apart and bring you his head.”

  His words should have terrified me, the intensity in his eyes should have made me want to run to the nearest police station. But it didn’t. Instead I looked up into Cole’s eyes and saw he meant it. He wanted to hurt the person who did this to me. He wanted to make them pay…because he cared about me. He didn’t have to say it for me to know. I could see it there in his dark blue irises. Maybe he didn’t love me anymore, but he still cared. And that changed everything.

  “I won’t lose you too.” He spoke so quietly, I was certain I wasn’t meant to hear. My gaze automatically fixed on the image of the woman on his arm, her dark hair whipping around a sad, beautiful face. His sister. “I won’t.” His eyes were glazed over as if he was lost somewhere inside himself. Lost in a memory he’d tried hard to suppress.

  I reached up and brushed my fingers lightly against his dark beard. “I’m okay, Cole.” I was far from okay, but I was alive and that’s what mattered. “I’m fine.” I tried to give him a smile, one that was meant to portray that I was great, unhurt, unafraid.

  He dropped his hand from my cheek and leaned in, wrapping his arms around my body, pulling me gently into his chest. Heat spread across me, warming me against the cold hospital air.

  “I’m not going to let anyone else hurt you.” He pulled back. “That’s why, when you leave tomorrow, you’re coming home with me.”

  My heart fluttered in my chest for half a second before reality came crashing down on me.

  “Go home with you?” I took a step back. “I can’t do that.”

  “Yes, it’s the safest—”

  A loud knock sounded on the door to my room, cutting Cole off. I stepped around him and out of the bathroom. I glanced through the blinds that looked into the hallway outside my room—and screamed.

  TEN.

  I was so happy to see Chris standing outside my hospital room that I actually screamed. Cole had come rushing out of the bathroom ready to kill someone. I’d had to beg him to make Randy and Leon let him in. After I screamed, the men had tackled him to the ground as if he’d attacked me or something.

  Eventually they let him in, but Cole refused to leave me alone with him and returned to brooding in the corner. I wasn’t going to let him ruin my moment with my friend. Chris was Victor’s boyfriend and up until about six months ago, he had been my roommate before they moved to New York.

  “I can’t believe you’re really here,” I said for what had to be the fifth time in the last twenty minutes.

  He smiled sadly, revealing white teeth. “I can’t believe you are either.” He tucked a strand of shoulder-length blond hair behind his ear.

  I nodded and touched my bandage. “Crazy, right?”

  “It is.” He pinched his jaw between his fingers, his eyes sad¸ and focused on the bandage.

  “So why are you in town?”

  “My mom has been sick and I came in to see her. I got here about a week ago. I came to see you before you woke up, but,” he paused and looked at Cole, “yeah.”

  “Are you kidding me?” I glared at Cole.

  “I tried to call and text you too, especially after I heard you were awake.”

  “Oh, yeah. I don’t have a phone anymore.” Somehow my phone had been smashed during the assault and I hadn’t even considered getting a new one yet. “It broke.”

  He stared at me intently, his brown eyes awash with sadness. “Are you okay, Jewel?” He sat down on the edge of my bed, putting his back to Cole. “I couldn’t believe it when I heard. Vic couldn’t either, I just…” He grabbed my hand. A sound of displeasure came from Cole, but I ignored him.

  “I’m okay, Chris. Really. It was awful.” My mind tried to take me there, but I pushed it away. “I’m alive, and that’s what matters.” I gave him a weak smile and squeezed his hand. “How are you? How’s Vic? Is he here?” I asked hopefully, though I knew the answer. Victor was my best friend. If he was anywhere nearby, he would already be in my room fixing my hair and driving out of his way to get me contacts so I wouldn’t look so, as he put it, ratchet. I smiled at the thought. I missed him more than I realized.

  “No, he’s not. He stayed home to work. He wants to be here though. If we had the money, he would be.”

  I nodded. The room was silent for a minute.

  “Do you know who did this to you, Jewel?” He squeezed my hand. “Or why?”

  I shook my head. “I don’t—”

  This time it was me who was interrupted by the knock at the door. I glanced over to find a uniform policeman standing just outside.

  “Well, I guess that’s my cue to leave,” Chris said.

  “No, I’m not ready for you to go,” I pouted. I didn’t really want to talk to the cops. I vaguely remembered them coming in the first night after I woke up. I’d been half asleep when they questioned me, and Dad and Cole had both been highly agitated that they were so earnest about interviewing me. It made sense though, it’d been two weeks since my attack. The trail of my attacker was cold without any further information from me.

  “I know. I don’t want to go either, but I need to get back to my mom. She’s in another hospital across town.” He kissed the top of my head and squeezed my hand again. “I’ll see you soon, Jewel.”

  As he went out the policeman came in. I recognized him vaguely as the one who had visited me two nights ago.

  “Hello, Miss Collette.” He held out his dark hand. “I’m Officer Gary Dillon. I spoke with you the other night.” When he smiled, his straight white teeth shown brightly against his black skin. “I hope you’re feeling better.”

  “I am.” I sat up straighter in my bed.

  He glanced around at Cole, who was now standing. “If you could excuse us for a minute, sir. I would like to speak with Miss Collette alone.”

  “No. I’m staying.”

  “I’m sorry, sir, but this is police related business. I need to speak with her alone.”

  Cole crossed his arms. “She doesn’t need to be alone with a man she doesn’t trust. She was attacked by a man, a stranger, and you’re asking me to leave her with another one. Cop or not. I don’t feel okay with that.”

  I tried hard not to let my heart swim in joy over Cole’s protectiveness. “It’s fine, Cole. I don’t mind talking to him alone.”

  Cole stood there for another minute just staring at the cop before uncrossing his arms. “Remember, I’m just outside, Julia, with Randy and Leon. If you get scared, holler, and I’ll take care of it.” Though he was speaking to me, Cole never looked at me, just continued to stare at Officer Dillon, who was several inches shorter.

  “Are you threatening a police officer?” Gary asked, his voice almost as menacing as Cole’s.

  Cole smiled wickedly. “You bet.” He turned and moved toward the door. He glanced back at me just as he opened it. “Remember, just call out if you need me.” And then he left. I could still see the outline of him through the half open blinds.

  “Miss Collette, I’m sorry to have to come in here and bother you again, but I assure you this won’t take long. I just wanted to follow up with you about your attack.” He sat down in the chair my dad had been using and pulled out a notepad. “Is there anything else you can remember from that night? Any distinctive things you didn’t tell us last time?”

  I didn’t want to think about it, not at all, but I knew I needed to. If he was here, it meant they had no leads on the guy who had attacked me.

  “Did I tell you he had a scar on his lips?” The image of the rough face shadowed over my mind. My heart thumped harder in my chest. The memory was
vivid—his lips pulling back into a wicked grin, making the scar whiten.

  “A scar?” He scribbled on his notebook. “You didn’t mention that before. Just that he had dark hair that fell across his face.”

  I nodded and chewed on my lips, trying hard to recall more.

  “Did he say anything to you? You were kind of out of it the other night, and I apologize we questioned you when you were so tired, but we wanted to get as much information as possible. We don’t want this person to be out there running free.”

  “I know, I don’t want that either.” I paused. “He called me a bitch and a cunt.” I almost laughed at how ridiculous that sounded.

  “Did you know him? Recognize him at all from anywhere?”

  “Never seen him in my life. I would have remembered him if I had, I know I would have. I could see the scar in the moonlight, so it must be pretty noticeable during the day.” My hands trembled.

  “Okay.” He scribbled for a few more seconds. “Is there anything else he said or did?”

  I wracked my brain. There has to be something else. I know he said other things, what are they? I could see his lips moving, the scar white against his lips.

  “You are such an asshole!” A woman screamed just outside the door to my room. The sound made me jump. “I can’t believe you!”

  Elaine stood just outside my hospital room, I could see her through the blinds. Her black hair was braided over one shoulder. Her lips as red as ever.

  “I get back in town to find out you’ve been up at the fucking hospital with that white trash bitch? What the fuck!”

  Cole put his hand on Elaine’s shoulder and said something to her that I couldn’t hear. This only seemed to make her angrier. “Some love we have!” She slapped him.

  “Love,” I said, frowning at Gary, who was also watching the confrontation through the window.

  “I’m sorry, what?” he asked.

  “Love,” I repeated. “‘They really wanted you to suffer, but it looks like that ain’t gonna happen. Love sure does fuck shit up, don’t it?’” My attackers words slammed into my head. Someone hired him to kill me, someone who did it for love.

  “That’s what he said to you?”

  After Gary asked, I realized I’d said the words aloud. I nodded. “Yes.”

  “Someone hired him to kill you for love,” he repeated slowly. “Is there anyone you suspect of wanting to hurt you because of that? An ex-boyfriend? A new boyfriend?”

  I glanced back at the window where Elaine and Cole stood arguing. My eyes glued on to the petite woman, looking at her in a new light.

  Did you try to have me killed, Elaine?

  ELEVEN.

  One year and five months ago

  The limo driver slowed as he entered the gates of the big Egyptian revival style mansion. Dread settled in the pit of my stomach.

  I don’t want to be here.

  I could have gone the rest of my life without coming back here, but my mother wanted me to come, had been asking for the last year or more, and I’d managed to avoid her. Now she claimed she was sick…and here I was.

  The lush, green garden surrounded both sides of the sloping drive. It was beautiful; even I, a man who cared nothing about a garden, knew it was quite fantastic with its large Jackalberry trees imported straight from South Africa. There were more than a hundred of them on the property, all over eighteen feet tall. Mother had wanted them when I built her this house some eleven years ago. I thought it was no big deal, so she wanted some trees. I hadn’t yet discovered these trees were a rarity, a tree national parks in Africa valued, not something they openly imported. But money talks and it didn’t take long before they were digging up their precious trees and shipping them here, to New Orleans, Louisiana, for my mother’s pleasure alone.

  The house came into view, looking even more elaborate in its greenery. If my mother was anything, she was a lover of exotic plants. If the trees didn’t show that, the third story of her mansion did with its outdoor botanical garden. The vast stone pillars of the house were covered with dark green ivy, growing down from the roof, giving the house an ancient look.

  I stared at the home that had cost me a fortune, the house where so many bad memories clung to the expensive stone, and loathed it. I’d considered burning it down, destroying the millions I’d put into, torching every last, fucking tree. But my mother had begged me not to, desperate to preserve her home more than her own family. And I’d given in, done what she wanted like always.

  “We’re here, sir.” I glanced over at the limo driver who had opened the back door, one of my mother’s men who had picked me up from the airport.

  Better get this over with. The sooner I do, the sooner I can get back to Julia.

  My obsession had grown and I was now a homeowner in the Lone Star State. I couldn’t stay away.

  I climbed out and approached the massive front doors, which were promptly opened by two men in butler’s uniforms. I shook my head. My mother acted like she was some sort of queen with her elaborate staff that catered to her every need. I allow it. And I did. I paid for all of this, her staff, her expensive clothes. It was all on me. My mom had worked as waitress all my life until I became successful with Obsidian Spirits and she hadn’t worked a day since.

  “Ms. Maddon will see you in the tea room,” one of the men said.

  I ignored him and walked quickly through the spacious halls. I didn’t bother pausing outside the room to gather my thoughts or prepare myself for seeing her. Nothing could prepare me for my mom.

  “Cole! My sweet baby!” she cooed as I walked in. She hopped up from a high-backed chair, and rushed over to me. A blue silk dress clung to her pale skin. “I’ve missed you!” She wrapped her arms around me. Her bleached, white blond hair hung just past her shoulders. She pulled back and looked up at me. “You look well.”

  “You look like you’ve had more Botox,” I said, eyeing her smooth face. She was in her early sixties, and the years had not been kind to her. She’d led a hard life.

  She narrowed her eyes at me. “Still as charming as ever, I see.” She took a step back and smoothed her dress.

  “I thought you were sick?” I raised an eyebrow at her.

  “Sick with worry.” A vile smile spread across her face, revealing her true age that even Botox couldn’t hide.

  “Worry for who?”

  She turned her back on me and returned to her seat. Raising a freshly manicured hand in the air, she twirled her finger and two women came running to her side.

  “Take my tea away. It’s cold. Bring us fresh cups. Three please.”

  I took a seat across from her. Only a small coffee table separated us.

  “Three? It’s just the two of us.” I glanced around.

  “And me.”

  I didn’t have to see the face to know who it was. I stood stiffly and turned around. “Elaine.” I greeted her with a curt nod. “I should have known you couldn’t be honest for a second, Mom.”

  “Honest!” She pressed a hand against her chest. “I’m always honest, but when I worry about one of my children I will do whatever I need to, to make sure they’re okay.” She looked offended, but I knew better. This was all an act, a ploy to get what she wanted.

  And what do you want this time?

  I didn’t bother sitting back down but moved away from my mom and Elaine who was now sitting in the chair to my right. She was dressed as fabulously as my mother, in red silk I no doubt paid for. It scooped low in the front, revealing a heavy amount of cleavage. The cheap gold necklace I’d given her for our one-year anniversary, back in high school, hung between her breasts.

  I stared at the silly heart for longer than I should have. She hadn’t worn it in years, in fact I couldn’t remember the last time I’d seen it on her. I’d worked all summer at the five and dime store to save enough money to buy it for her. She’d been all I could think about, all I wanted out of life. If I can make her mine, then I’ll die a happy man. That’s what I used to think
when it came to Elaine, but I was wrong. I made her mine and then I turned her into a monster. A soul-sucking bitch who poisoned everything she touched.

  She stopped wearing the necklace because it looked too cheap, she claimed. The reappearance of the thing spoke volumes about why I was here.

  “Like the view, honey?”

  “Hardly.”

  I turned away from her, realizing I was still staring at the damned trinket on her chest. My cock didn’t even twitch at the sight, while instead Julia’s chest popped into my head. The thick globes of taut flesh jiggling while she was fucked from behind.

  Not now, Cole.

  I walked over to the fireplace. For a tea room, it was well equipped with lavish decorations and huge flat screen TVs. It was the three pictures on the mantle that caught my attention and made me regret coming here even more.

  My sister’s face smiled from behind a frame. Happiness glittered in her eyes as if she was laughing when they took the picture. I didn’t remember her like that, with happiness singing from her every pore. I could only remember the bad.

  My gaze darted to the left. A picture of my older brother Richard and I wrestling on the floor of our old house back when we were about eight and nine. Sandy was in the background sitting on the floor, barely a toddler.

  She was supposed to destroy these. Anger built under my skin. I looked at the last picture, the most recent of the three. Sandy was sitting on Richard’s lap in this one. He was tickling her, his big body practically dwarfing hers completely. She was giggling, her head thrown back, her long dark hair cascading down her back. One of Richard’s hands was on her jean-clad thigh. He was smiling, his hair short, staring at my baby sister with what anyone else would assume was brotherly love, but I knew better.

  I snatched the picture off the mantle and whirled around. The two maids were handing my mother and Elaine their tea. “What the fuck is this?” Both of the maids jumped, one of them letting out a startled screech. Neither my mother nor Elaine acted as if I did anything abnormal.