"Don't ask me that now, what the fuck?" Jules turned to look back in the house.
"Don't look inside I don't want to show my hand just yet. The reality is I have no audio, I was just doing some groundwork before I get started, I didn't expect this little hiccup. Let's not jump to conclusions I just wanted you to know going in, okay. Moving along, as I said in the beginning, this thing is big. There're some names and faces that cropped up that...let's just say this shit is going to turn over a lot of apple carts. There're some seriously moneyed people on my list so far. You know where money is concerned there're payoffs and hush money and all that other bullshit to work through."
"I think you're forgetting brother, we have money too and that's my daughter in law in there. In the long run this is about her, her safety. I want to make sure this animal can't come after her ever. What about the other thing?"
"About that, I've been making some inquiries, kind of on the sly you know. I'm an old pen pal who lost touch and would like to reconnect. Most people I talked to seem to believe the running away story, but there were a few that I kinda got that vibe from. You know, when they think they know something but don't want to share less they're wrong. I'll focus on those. I'm thinking this hunting shit is a more direct threat at the moment. If he murdered her she's been gone for a long time, a few more weeks give or take isn't going to make a difference."
I hardly heard all of what was said after that I was too busy holding myself back from rushing into the house and getting her. My baby, the fuck!
"What do you want us to do about Melanie?"
"That's a good question Thaddeus, I was thinking leave things as is. If she's sharing info obviously we can't share anything pertinent in front of her, but we can give misleading info. On the other hand if we just cut her off suddenly she'll probably figure out something's going on and give them a heads up. How much does she know about what I do?"
"Nothing, we don't discuss your work outside the family uncle Marcus you know that."
"Alright, I just thought that since you two have been together so long you might've..."
"If we'd been married...maybe...but..." He got a pained look on his face. This had to be hard as fuck for him, realizing that his woman was nowhere near what he thought she was.
"Uncle Marcus thanks for coming, for doing all this, I gotta go, I need to get Vicki away from her I'm sorry but it's killing me."
I didn't wait for an answer just walked through the door into the room, took Vicki by the hand and walked away.
"Baby, what are you doing?" She laughed as I practically raced up the stairs dragging her behind me.
"I was talking to your mom...Roman, what is it, what's wrong?" She finally sensed the tension in my body. I was strung so tight I didn't even know what I was doing. All I know is that I needed to hold her, to protect her, stand between her and all the ugliness I knew was coming. I was going to have to tell her everything. Seeing her sitting so close to her enemy, having no idea of the danger, the threat that Melanie might pose was an eye opener for me.
It wasn't only about what dad and Jules had said, it was about us handling it together. I could still shield her but this way she would know where the danger lay.
Not now though, right now my need for her superseded everything else. The reality of what we were facing finally set in with my uncle here. What had started as a need for revenge had now blown up into something sinister, something that I knew was going to do my girl grave harm emotionally. I'd be fucked if I'd let anyone harm her physically.
One more night, I'll give her one more night before I knock her world off its axis.
Tinks was laying sprawled on her bed, damn dog had a ribbon in her hair, that was just fucking wrong.
The incongruity of my thoughts was almost funny. Here I am in the middle of this horror movie bullshit and I'm stressing about the dog wearing a ribbon.
"Roman you're beginning to worry me, what's wrong?" She clasped my face between her hands.
"Nothing's wrong babe, I just missed you that's all."
"I call bullshit." She grinned at me.
How long will that grin disappear for? That grin, the thought of it disappearing made me regret every harsh word I'd ever said to her. I actually felt a pain in my heart. Her face, fuck me, her beautiful, perfect face, those eyes looking at me with love, what had I almost done?
"I'm so fucking sorry baby." I pulled her to me, her shirt clutched tightly in my hands at her back, my face buried in her neck as I felt my fucking heart break.
He'd fucking abused her for years I had no doubt, and I'd spit in her face, oh fuck. I ran to the bathroom where I emptied my stomach. I actually hated myself in that moment. As I'm kneeling there trying to pull myself together she knelt down beside me, hand on my brow checking for fever.
"Baby are you sick?" There was a tremor of fear in her voice.
"Shh, no don't cry, I'm not sick." I cleaned myself up before leading her back into the bedroom.
"Let's just lay down together babe I wanna hold my girl."
She was still looking at me with sad worried eyes. How could I have ever fucking hurt her, doubt her? I have no doubt now that she’d been telling me the truth all along. Her home life was so fucked it was a wonder she hadn't done worse.
I laid her on top of me, her head under my chin, my arms and legs wrapped tightly around her.
"I love you baby, I'll always love you, I'm sorry I hurt you, sorry I was such a horse's ass. You forgive me?"
"Of course I forgive you, I love you remember." She petted my chest soothingly, now she was the one offering comfort when I had the strong need to do that for her.
Don't cry Blair you little bitch, fuck you I'm having a moment with my girl. My subconscious is a bigger fuck than I am.
"Roman..."
"Hmm?"
"Tell me what's wrong..."
"Nothing's wrong baby, everything's just fine. I'll tell you what we were talking about tomorrow okay, just not tonight. But I want you to know that there's nothing for you to worry about, not ever, no matter what's going on I'll protect you always. You believe me?"
"You always protect me Roman."
Yeah, except when I'm being the one you need protection from. Am I ever going to get over this now? Knowing the fucked up shit she’d been through makes what I’d done seem monstrous. Will there ever be a day when I can look at her and not remember my anger and the pain I'd caused her? I'll just have to spend the rest of my life making it up to her.
"Victoria-Lynn will you marry me?"
Chapter 24
I felt a huge sense of calm after asking her to marry me, I always knew I'd ask her some day just not this soon. Her life is about to change drastically. She'd probably feel like she had no stability since her father is a monster who apparently offed her mother and had been terrorizing her her whole life. With my ring on her finger and my last name not to mention the power of the Blair family behind her, she can't help but feel more secure. At least that’s what I’m hoping for. Yes this is a good thing.
"Are you gonna answer me or what?" For the last five minutes she's been staring at me wordlessly.
"You...you want to marry me?"
"Baby what the fuck? How can you be surprised at this shit? Tell me you've always known that this is where we were headed. How could you not know? No don't cry." She was crying and clutching onto me.
Man so soft, so little, how do I always forget what a tiny thing she is?
"I thought you changed your mind after...
"Victoria-Lynn no matter how mad I get at you now, or in the future, I'll always love you. They'll never be a time when I'm not in love with you. Can you try to remember that shit for me please?"
"Yes...yes I'll marry you, I love you." She started kissing all over my face while she cried.
"Okay baby, but you gotta stop that crying shit, you know what that does to me." She sniffled and wiped her tears while I combed my fingers through her hair. I hated knowing that I had to fucking
destroy her world. I was gonna wait until in the morning but, fuck.
"I have something to tell you." Why wait? There was no point I'll tell her what was going on, answer her questions and hopefully my love and support will be enough to keep her from falling apart. I hope I was doing the right thing here though shit.
"Is it bad?" She looked up at me with a little fear.
"It doesn't matter, all that matters is that you're safe. No matter what happens hold on to that, you're safe and I love you. We have each other now and always nothing means more than that okay."
"Okay Roman." She laid her head on my chest and I took a deep breath. How much did she know or suspect about father? I had not a clue, she'd never once let on that there was anything going on. She'd hid her own abuse very well so who knows.
"How much do you remember about your mom?" I held my breath as I waited for her answer.
"My ...um...what? Not much, I was so young when she left...why?"
"Did you ever hear from her after she left? Anyone ever said they saw her?"
"No, my dad said she moved away somewhere."
"Do you remember her at all?"
"No, not really I just remember her hugging me a lot, and sometimes crying."
Her body shook and I hugged her closer.
"What?"
"I think he used to hit her. I'm not sure but when I was younger, right after she left, I kept having this recurring dream or at least I think it was a dream. She'd always be crying and holding her face. When I was old enough to ask he just told me that it was my imagination. Then as I grew older the dreams just stopped, I'd forgotten all about them. Why are you asking me about my mom?"
I blew out a breath. "We think there's a possibility that he might've killed your mother."
She jumped and tried to get out of bed but I held her tight. She covered her ears and the tears started again as she rocked back and forth in my arms. She was crying so hard there was no sound coming out of her throat. I rubbed her back soothingly until she caught her breath again.
"Talk to me baby, don't shut down." Fuck, maybe I should've waited after all.
"I think I knew, I think I always knew but I shut it out. What did he do to her?"
"We don't know yet, we're only just piecing it together and it's looking more and more like a possibility. There's something else...it appears that your father and Stephen Crafton along with some other very prominent men in the state and elsewhere are involved in some kind of game. A game in which human beings are hunted for sport." I let the words settle in and waited.
She got away from me that time and made a run for the bathroom. I was hot on her heels as she threw up and retched. Holding her hair back was the best I could do as I watched her suffer.
She cried and gagged at the same time. I had to hold her up as her body seemed to just give out on her.
"Are you sure about this?"
"Yeah, Jules and I found out about it when we broke into his files. That's why my uncle Marcus is here, he knows more about this stuff than we do so he's here to take care of it. He's already spoken to someone who might have some information about what really happened to your mother. We believe he killed her, we just don't know how or why. And if he did, where's the body?"
"The apple tree in the backyard."
"Pardon me?"
"The apple tree in the backyard, he planted that when I was younger maybe right around the time she supposedly ran off. He told me it was to remind me of her or something like that."
It can't be that easy. I wanted to run downstairs and get the others right away. Get on it, see if we could uncover his crime so easily, but I couldn't leave her, not in this state.
"Come back to bed baby don't sit on the cold floor."
Tinks must've picked up on her mama's stress because she came galloping into the room and landed in her lap.
Victoria-Lynn tickled her and was lost in the dog's antics for a good five minutes while I watched my two girls. Picking them both up in my arms I carried them back to the bed.
Sitting with my back to the headboard, I held them between my legs and closed my arms around her enfolding her, protecting her. "If you remember anything else baby, tell me okay."
"What're you going to do? Please Roman just let the others take care of it don't get involved.
" I can't do that baby, it's my responsibility, you're my responsibility I have to be involved. I promise not to do anything stupid though okay. One more thing stay away from Melanie, uncle saw her talking to the sheriff. We don't know exactly what the hell that was about but we're gonna find out. In the meantime I know you don't really deal with her but you're gonna have to cut back on that even more. Do not be anywhere alone with her, I don't give a fuck what reason anyone else gives you don't do it you hear me?"
"Yes, I still don't understand why she hates me so much though."
"Because she's an insecure bitch who needs to be the center of attention fuck her, she doesn't matter to us and I don't want you worrying about any of this shit either."
"But if this is true, he's my dad. People are gonna know he's monster. I never wanted anyone to know, that's why I hid...for so long...oh Roman what am I going to do?"
"Victoria-Lynn, what do you mean you hid for so long, hid what?" It was one thing to suspect that her father had been hurting her and quite another for her to admit it. She'd only owned up to the slap in the face because of the glaring evidence, now this. "What did he do to you?"
"Nothing, he didn't do anything." She turned around in my arms.
"What...did...he...do?"
"I'm not telling you."
"Fuck this shit." I tried to get out from behind her but she played the human vine again. Arms and legs wrapped around me keeping me in place. Tinks thought we were playing around and started running around in circles on the bed and yipping her head off.
"Roman you can't fight everyone, stop it what he did or didn't do is in the past. I'm here aren't I? You saved me...you don't have to do anything else."
"What did he do to you cheeks?" I held her face in my hands.
"Oh Roman... sometimes he'd get upset and he'd lash out at me okay, or if he'd been drinking he'd get angry..."
"How often?"
"What?"
"How often did he hit you?"
"Not a lot." She blushed and ducked her head.
"Don't fucking lie to me."
"Do we have to do this?"
"Yes we do, now tell me what that fuck did to you."
"On average... at least once a week."
"Once a..." I jumped off the bed and headed out of the room and down the stairs.
I found dad and uncle Marcus in the den, Jules was nowhere to be found and I guess mom and Petra had gone off somewhere. Victoria-Lynn was right behind me as I walked into the room.
"I don't care what you find or don't find, I want him fucking dead."
"Son what's wrong?" Dad was up and coming towards me.
"He fucking beat her at least once a week. How could I not know this, how? Why did you keep this shit from me Victoria-Lynn?"
"Because I knew you'd react this way you're going to get into trouble, please Roman, let it go. Please, for me."
"Son calm down we'll take care of it but don't go doing anything stupid. I told you before, you end up in jail she's out here on her own, you don't want that."
"Dad, do you have any idea how this makes me feel, any idea at all what I want to do to him? Look at her really look at her. She's what five two a hundred pounds? The sheriffs over six feet tall and weighs two fifty at least and you know he didn't pull his punches." I looked at her then and walked pulled her away so the others couldn’t hear.
"All those times you were too tired or whatever fucking excuse you gave me, he was beating the shit out of you and I didn't know. I was supposed to be protecting you, you didn't let me protect you, I hate that you didn't let me protect you. I'll never forgive myself for not taking better care of you."
"Roman...don't, it's
not your fault."
I pulled my hair as my head threatened to explode. Dad slapped my back reassuringly.
"Nephew, no worries, what's done is done. You can't go back and change anything, that day's already gone never to be repeated. What you can do is make sure her life from now is nothing but roses, you can be the man I know you are and reassure her that you're not going to do anything stupid that'll take you away from her. You can reassure her that she's safe now and that no one will ever get to her again."
"Are you going to take him out or am I?"
"Boy didn't you hear anything I said?"
"Uncle he fucking beat the shit out of her right under my fucking nose for over a year. What would you do?
"I'd get angry yes, but I hope that if someone gave me some good advice that I'd follow it. I hope that I could put aside my anger and take care of the special lady in my life and realize that my erratic behavior is hurting more than helping."
Fuck, he called me out in front of my girl. She's standing there clutching Tinks in one hand and my shirt in the other. Even the damn dog was looking at me disapprovingly. Pulling her into my chest I held her for a while before just nodding to my dad and uncle and leading her out of the room and back up the stairs.
In the room I sat her on the bed and paced as I tried to get my thoughts together. Kneeling in front of her, I took her hands in mine as Tinks sat on her lap.
"I'm sorry I hurt you, I'm sorry that I didn't know what kind of fucked up pressure you were under. Most of all I'm sorry I added to your terror. Never again Victoria-Lynn, as long as we live I will never hurt you again, I give you my solemn oath. Don't cry baby come here." I pulled her into my arms and climbed onto the bed holding her to my heart. A heart that was so full of love for this one person it threatened to consume me completely. The pain would go away eventually I know, but the guilt will linger I was certain. One thing was for sure, I’m gonna fucking gut the sheriff.
Chapter 25
Things were hectic for the next few days, the cat was out of the bag now and Vicki knew what was going on, there was no sense in keeping anything from her. Jules was trying to find out in a roundabout way what Melanie's connection to the sheriff was without tipping her off. Personally I say beat the truth out of the scheming bitch but she's his to deal with not mine. Not yet anyway, if I find out she's done anything to hurt Victoria-Lynn it'll be her ass though. She’s been steering clear of me lately because I couldn’t find it in me to play nice to find out what she knows so every time her ass got too close I gave her the ‘you’re gonna come up missing glare.’
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