by Jayton Young
When the horses were ready, we led them out of the stables. I stood there for a minute, just listening to the sound of nature around us. It was just the two of us. Troy had called ahead and given the hands the day off so I’d feel more relaxed and not have to deal with being around people I wasn’t familiar with.
Troy came to me to help me up on Nosey’s back. “Where to, Cupcake?” He asked.
I thought about it for a minute. I had packed a picnic lunch for us, but we wouldn’t need that for a couple of hours. ‘Let’s just ride your land and take the trails, se e what changes there have been.’ I answered. ‘It’s been a long time since I’ve been here. Then we can have lunch b y your side of the creek later.’
“Sounds good.”
We rode all through his land and mine. We found a camp someone had set up not too far from my land, but it was on the part that was the town preserve. Fort Mill had gone through a couple of expansions, and a lot of land had been cleared for housing developments, strip malls, and schools, so the Town Council had set aside a bunch of woodland to be able to preserve the trees and wildlife of the area . No one was supposed to camp here, but it happened all the time. Nobody was at the camp when we passed, so we just moved on. We ended up going back to the creek around one o’clock.
After we let the horses drink from the creek for a while, we unloaded the saddles and tied them with enough slack to be able to graze in a nearby clearing. We went back to the creek to splash around and cool of f a little before going to set up the picnic. We sat side by side while we ate, and then when we were finished, Troy loaded everything back into the basket. We ended up sitting cross legged, facing each other with our knees touching. Troy leaned down to me and kissed me.
“This is what I’ve missed so much for so long,” He said as he sat back up. “Spending time with the people I care most about in this world. Just us, wasting the day away, doing nothing more strenuous than riding our horses.”
I nodded. ‘Me too.’ I signed. ‘I had felt so alone there for a while. I’m very sorry for giving up on all of you and not waiting.’
“It’s not your fault, Cupcake.” He trailed his fingers down my cheek and over the scar on my face. “We had been selfish in our decision making. We should have talked to you about it. We didn’t once think about what extending our time in would do to you.”
I looked down, gathering my courage, just as I had with Toby. I wanted everything out in the open with all three of them. When I looked back up to him I told him how I felt. ‘I love you Troy. I love al l three of you. I always have.’
A huge smile broke over his face. “I know, Cupcake. God knows I love you, too. We all do. We have talked about it a couple of times, and we know that we need to sit down and talk with you about it. We’ll figure everything out once Tory wakes up.”
‘I can’t choose between you. I wouldn’t even if I could. I would never want to be the cause of any problems between you guys.’
“I know that, and I’d never make you choose. I know you love us all, and I’m alright with that. As long as I’m part of your life , and have you in my life, I’ll be a happy man. You were too young when we left, and we had wanted you to be able to experience life and have the opportunities all teenagers get to have.” He picked me up and sat me on his lap sideways. “I never imagined you being put in the type of situation you went through , or I would never have left you. Inheritance or not, I would have stayed with you to keep you from what you’ve had to suffer.”
I looked up into his face and saw all of the love I felt for him reflected back to me through his eyes. I tilted my head up to kiss him while one hand held his cheek, and I snaked my other arm around his back. This kiss lasted a few seconds before I felt his tongue asking entrance. I granted it to him and tangled my tongue with his slowly. It was a very passionate kiss , slow , but heartfelt and building.
Troy very slowly, and without breaking the kiss, lowered me to where I was laying down and he was on one elbow beside me. He brought his leg over and I tangled it into mine. His mouth left min e and he started kissing down the scar on my face, to my jaw , and then down to my neck. He licked the scar across my throat and came back up and started nibbling where my neck meets my shoulder. I was normally very self-conscience about my scars, but I knew what he was saying by kissing them. He loved me in spite of my imperfections. He was trying to heal t he hurt that went with my scars. A nd he was. To know that he could love me, love my body, after someone violating it as Blain had, was healing a part of me that I thought was forever broken.
When he started suckling right beneath my ear, my body exploded in ecstasy. I never thought that was possible. I could feel the vibration in his chest as he chuckled after realizing what happened. He brought his head up to look at me and said, “I think I found your spot.” I could feel the blush creeping up my cheeks. He kissed me again. “Don’t be embarrassed. I have a spot, too. You’ll just have to find it.”
I slapped his arm before he crashed his lips back down on mine. I had to feel him. I started pulling at the t-shirt he had tucked into his faded jeans, but I was having trouble. He caught on to that fact and quickly pulled it off himself before returning his lips to mine. As I ran my hands up his back, feeling his very defined muscles, his hands started exploring my body. He rolled to where he was completely on top of me holding himself up using both elbows this time, but that didn’t stop his hands from finding my breasts. As my nipples hardened, he rolled them in between his fingers, sending electric currents straight down. I wrapped my legs around his waist , and one of his hands slid down to my thigh. He grabbed it as his lips again went down to the spot below my ear. Troy pushed my thigh where my legs were spread, and his hand went to the button of my jeans and undid them, sliding his hand down and rubbing my nub.
I felt the explosion building inside me again as he slid two fingers in me, but as soon as he did I had a flash of red hair in front of me smirking, and I jerked away. I started fighting, not remembering where I was just seeing Blain’s smug face as he did whatever he wanted. I tried to get up but felt arms around me, holding me. I started crying, shaking my head, just wishing it were over and he’d leave me alone.
“You’re mine, Kayla. I’ll never leave you.” I heard Blain whisper in my ear and I started trying to hit him, but he had my arms pinned to my sides.
“Marti! Come on, Baby. I’m so sorry, please look at me.” I heard Troy’s voice broke through , and I remembered. It was his arms holding me. I was safe.
I opened my eyes and mouthed ‘I’m so sorry’ as I sobbed. He adjusted us to where we were sitting up. I straddled his lap, put my arms around his neck, and cried into his shoulder.
“You don’t ever apologize to me. You did nothing wrong. I shouldn’t have moved so fast .” He said, brokenly.
I shook my head. He did nothing that I didn’t want him to and I leaned back and signed that to him. ‘I’m broken, Troy. I don’t know if yo u should waste your time on me.’
He hugged me to him. “You are not broken, Baby, and I’m not wasting my time. I love you, and I’m blessed to be here with you and to have you love me. I’ll go as slow and take as long as you need me to.”
After I had calmed down and quit shaking w e got up, folded the blanket we had used for the picnic, and made our way back to the horses holding hands. Troy loaded all the stuff on Moe and came over to help me up onto Nosey. When I was up, he turned to go over to his horse, but turned back when I tapped his shoulder. ‘You called me Baby.’ I said smiling. ‘But I like Cupcake better. It’s more you.’
He laughed, got up on Moe, and we made our way back to the stable. As I took the saddle gear off of Nosey, I saw a piece of paper float to the ground, but decided to brush her down before picking it up. When I did, my heart skipped a beat and I couldn’t breathe. When I finally took a breath, it was loud and ragged. Troy heard it and came over, “What wrong?” He asked.
So I showed him the note.
Chapter 11
It h
ad been an hour since we left the barn, and I was still shaking. He was here. He was here, and he was watching me. Oh my God! He’d kill them all if he could n’t get to me.
Good thing you stopped him.
You’re mine!
That’s what the note said. I remember what he told me back while he had me chained. I had made the mistake of telling him that I would never belong to him. That I didn’t love him, I loved someone else.
I started rubbing my left thigh. He carved his name there, branding me ‘his’, he said. He had told me then, that if any other man touched me he would kill them first and then come for me. I couldn’t let any of my gu ys get hurt because of me, neither my brothers nor the triplets. If something happened to them, I’d never forgive myself.
“Toby said they’d be here tomorrow morning.” Troy told Jordan and I. Jordan had my head lying in his lap, stroking my hair, trying to calm me down. We were at Troy’s house , in his living room. He didn’t want me to go home until he discussed everything with Toby, Jordan, and James. He thought we should all move into his house until Blain was caught. The police were looking around the property, but we knew he’d already be gone.
“The helicopter will leave the hospital there around nine in the morning, bringing them to Piedmont Medical in Rock Hill, and then an ambulance will bring them here.” He continued. “He’s with me in wanting y’all to move in here. He said if anything, it’d be more of u s in one place to protect Marti, and she’ll be able to be here with Tory.”
I sat up on the couch so I could sign more easily . ‘I had wanted to stay here with Tory, and I was even going to suggest that James and Jordan come, too, but I can’t now. I’ll need to stay at my house.’
Troy was about to say something, but the doorbell sounded. It was James. He had been at work this morning, so Jordan called him back when Troy had pushed my panic button to get him to come to us. Jordan said he and James were not leaving my side again and he had his gun tucked in the back of his jeans.
James came straight over to me picked me up, squeezing me in a hug. “Are you okay , Sissy?” He asked.
I nodded, leaned back, and looked at the circles under his eyes. Looking at Jordan, I saw the same thing. They were losing sleep stressing over all of this, and now I had led a madman to our door. I looked over to Troy, and though he didn’t have the circles under his eyes, I could see the strain of worry etched on his face. Now though, it seemed as he was getting angry.
“What do you mean, stay at your house? I don’t think so.” He said in a low, threatening voice. “You are going to let us help you, and you need to be here for Tory. I know what you’re thinking, and none of us are going to let you do it.”
James set me down and looked at me. He knew me, so he’d probably figured out what I was thinking, too.
“What are you talking about” Jordan asked, looking between Troy and me. I looked down; it was no used to lie about it.
I could feel everyone looking at me, especially Troy. I didn’t have to see him to know he was glaring . “Tell them, Marti.” He said. “Tell them what’s going on in that thick skull of yours.”
My head jerked back up. That pissed me off. All I wanted to do was protect them, I wasn’t being thick headed.
‘I need to leave, to get away from here .’ I signed, my hands flying in jerky movements. I had already been shaky, but my whole body shook now with anger. ‘None of you will be safe if I’m here. I am his property. He will stop at nothing to get me back.’ I started sobbing then. I knew what I’d said was the truth.
Jordan pulled me in for one of his bear hugs. “Why do you think he’ll hurt us? Wouldn’t he try to get around us, instead? And why did he let you go, just to terrorize you like this?”
‘I don’t know why he let me go, but it was his reactions to things that let me know what he’s willing , and completely capable of doing.’
“Like what, Sis? His reactions to what?” He asked.
‘I argued with him at first, telling him I didn’t belong to him, that I lo ved someone else.’ I sat back down on the couch. ‘I even tried to escape twice. He told me throughout all of that, that if anyone else ever touched me, he would make me watch them die before he killed me.’ I didn’t go into the details of how he said he’d kill me.
“You have got to give us some credit, Cupcake. Let us take care of ourselves and protect you at the same time.” Troy came, sat beside me, and pulled me into his lap. “I hate to say this, but i f you leave, who’s to say he won’t come after us in an effort to find you? It will be safer if we all stick together.”
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Later that evening, I was in the living room staring at the TV, not really seeing it. Troy was dozing right beside me on the leather sofa. He wouldn’t let me take the No-Doze or drink any Red Bull. He said I needed to get used to leaning on them again. I needed to let them carry the weight of my fears and help me through them, and not just avoid them.
I guess I could see his point, but that didn’t make it any easier. I still struggled to stay awake, and had lasted longer than him, but now I could feel myself spacing out like I normally did when I was about to crash. I thought about what they had said earlier. It would be harder for Blain to get me with them around, and if we all stuck together, then he wouldn’t be able to get one of them either. Of course, b eing with all three of the trips would be a bonus too .
I had to get Tory to wake up. Toby had said that he was in good condition, he just wasn’t waking up. I felt like I dreaming of a fairy tale every time I thought about and hoped for Tory to wake up when he got here to me. I was going to do everything in my power, which I knew wasn’t much, to make him better. Even with Toby and Troy home, I still felt like a piece of me was missing. I couldn’t wait to get that piece back.
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Tory was finally home. I was walking to the study where we’d set his room up with the hospital bed and all of the equipment and monitors. I didn’t hear or see anyone around. When I got to the study the door was closed. Was Toby or Troy with him for some reason? I knocked, but nobody answered, so I slowly opened the door, not wanting to disturb one of the brothers visiting with him.
No one was in there. I was wondering where everyone was, someone made it a point to be with me at all times, when I noticed Troy’s sheets covered in red. I ran over to the bed and saw why.
His throat had been slit so deep I could see bone. Not only that, but it looked like he had been stabbed at least fifty times. I let out a silent scream, forgetting I couldn’t make a sound, and turned to run out of the room, but Blain was blocking the way.
He got this evil, smug look on his face. “They’re all dead.” He said. “We can finally be together forever.” He lifted his hand that held a S&W revolver. “If y ou won’t live forever with me, then we will die together and spend eternity that way.”
And he pulled the trigger.
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I shot up with Troy holding my shoulders. He’d obviously been trying to wake me up. He pulled me into his arms, onto his lap, and rocked me.
“It was just a nightmare, Cupcake. You are here with me, safe in my arms. I’ll always keep you safe.”
He kept whispering things that were supposed to be reassuring, but af ter that dream, I had to wonder who would keep them safe.
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We were all outside waiting on the ambulance. Toby had called fifteen minutes before saying they were loaded and on the way. I couldn’t wait to see him and Tory. I had cooked a dinner for tonight, so all they had to do was warm it in the oven, and I could spend all my time with Tory. Jordan said he’d have my keyboard ready for me tonight, so I’d be able to talk to him.
Troy was with me and had his arm around my waist. We were sitting on bench swing on the wraparoun
d porch of the tri-level ranch house they lived in. I could hear the activity going on inside. Extra medical personnel of the local home health care agency came out to make sure everything was set up properly, and that the transition went as smoothly as possible.
I saw the ambulance coming down the long driveway. I popped out of my seat, excited for them to finally be there. Troy called to the nurses to come help the EMTs get Tory in.
Toby hopped out of the back as soon as they stopped. I ran over to him, so I could be with Tory the whole way. When they got him out on the gurney, I couldn’t believe it. It barely looked like him; he’d lost so much weight. He had so many tubes and IV bags, it really hit home.
Tory was in a coma. They had told me a thousand times, and I heard them and understood, but for some reason, seeing him like that made everything real. This wasn’t going to be some fairy tale. My Tory was hurt and I didn’t know what to do.
“It’s going to be okay, Pea.” Toby said, wiping the tears away that I didn’t even realize were there.
We walked beside the gurney until we got to the steps of the porch , then we fell in behind the EMTs following them through the entry way, past the living room and dining area, to the study. I stood in the corner with Toby on one side and Troy on the other, watching as the EMTs and nurses worked together to transfer Tory to the bed. The EMT’s left after the nurses signed the transfer papers.
Jordan and James came in and joined us in the corner of the room.
“Hey, man.” Jordan said to Toby, giving him a slap on the back. “Did everything go alright on the way?”