The telephone stopped ringing and I wanted to scream. Maybe if I screamed too loudly, the person calling would listen. Crap, I was already thinking of impossible solutions, since there was no possible one.
With her perfect makeup redone, Chloe came into the living room. She had a tray with water, juice, a bowl of fruit, a loaf of bread, butter, jelly, and some of my favorite cookies and crackers.
“I don’t know exactly what you want, so I brought what I found,” she said, placing the tray over the coffee table. She sat back on the couch and smiled at me.
I pressed my lips tight, but the words came out anyway. “I’m starting to wonder if you’re insane too.”
She shook her head, her smile faltering. “I assure you I’m not. I do the things I do so Eric won’t unleash his rage on me. Besides, he’s my son. Even if he is what I think he is … I can’t seem to imagine him thrown in jail.”
Jail? Well, hitting a woman could be reason enough to be thrown in jail, but something told me there was more.
I took a deep breath. “What else did he do? Please, tell me.”
She averted her eyes. “I can’t decide if telling you everything might actually help or not. Perhaps, if you know, you’ll see the real danger and stop going against him.”
Real danger? Wasn’t I already in real danger?
I was shaking. “What do you mean?”
When her eyes returned to me, the tears were there once more. “A psychopath only thinks about himself and how he can be richer, more successful, more handsome. It’s always about him, and always about more. The problem is psychopaths have no regret. None. Psychopaths are born the way they are, though the level of their crimes can get worse with time. You know that horrible news you see sometimes about a kid who killed another, and later was playing as if nothing happened? Those kids are probably psychopaths.” She took a grape from the bowl and stared at it as if it were a diamond or something equally precious. “Eric was a selfish and rude kid. I never understood why, until I started connecting the dots.”
I was afraid to ask, but I had to know. “What dots?”
The telephone started ringing again, and my heart skipped a beat. Chloe tensed and the two of us stared at it in silence until it stopped.
I closed my eyes for a second and wished with all my heart it was Leo or someone else who would find it odd that I wasn’t answering my cell or house phone, and called the police. I didn’t care if the police were friends with Eric, because really, would they defend him after seeing me tied to a chair? And Jimmy and Argus bleeding outside?
I took a deep, shuddering breath. For now, I had to know more. “What dots?” I repeated the question.
“The night before the car accident that killed my husband and my oldest son, and put me in a deep depression, Eric had a big fight with his father. At that time, Eric was already playing polo, and Nolan didn’t approve of it. He thought it was a waste of time, and that Eric was playing with the family’s wealth. Nolan told him he was a disappointment of a son, and that Ian would inherit everything and become the head of the company, while Eric would be his employee out of pity.
“Then he started dating you, and he became obsessed with you. In his mind, you could help him be better, be richer, be more famous, be more known. The night before the ranch caught fire, Eric and you had an argument too. He didn’t want you to go to college, and he hated the fact that you were living on campus. But he hated more the fact that you spent most of your weekends here, with your grandma and your horse, instead of with him. He would come here to visit you for a few hours, when in fact he wanted all of your attention.
“The day before your father’s latest incident, didn’t you have an argument with Eric too? He was sure he had convinced your father that selling the ranch was for the best. He was sure your father could convince you of that. Then you tell him your father approved and supported your choices.
“When Leonardo Fernandes came into the picture, Eric noticed right away that this new boy couldn’t take his eyes off you, and that you seemed at least curious about him too. Then he takes the title from Eric. A couple of weeks later, this boy’s past explodes into the media. Not to mention your new horse, Argus. Eric still doesn’t know what to do about him.”
Fear gripped my heart. My hands trembled. My mind spun.
“Wait … wait.” I took a long breath and shook my head. No, it couldn’t be. “What are you saying?”
She popped the grape into her mouth, and took her time chewing and swallowing it. If I were free, I would be at her throat by now.
“The obvious,” she said. “Eric hired someone to cause the accident that killed his father and his brother. Eric hired someone to set fire to this ranch, killing your grandma and your horse. Eric hired two men to shoot your father, and he killed them himself for not having succeeded. Eric hired someone to find out anything about Leonardo that would destroy his career and hopefully make you hate him, because killing him would raise suspicions, though I think he would consider it again if that boy and you got closer.”
Got closer? Acid churned in my stomach. “H-how does he know about Leo?”
“Sometimes he sends Pete to follow you,” she said, her tone indicating that having me followed was routine. “And Eric plans on doing something about your new horse.”
“He just did,” I croaked. My stomach flipped, and I felt like I would throw up everything I ever ate in my entire life. “It can’t be.”
Chloe nodded. “The same thing I used to say when I first found out about what he was capable of.”
I looked at her, at this woman who seemed so poised, so elegant, so right, and yet harbored a murderer in her house. Looks were indeed deceiving.
“How exactly did you find out?” I asked, my voice trembling as much as I was.
“The police said the car accident was just that, an accident, but I didn’t want to let it go. Nolan was such a careful driver, and I knew there was more to it. So, I started researching on my own. That’s when Eric came to me and told me to stop looking for answers I didn’t want to find. I asked him what he wasn’t telling me, and he didn’t say anything. But I began paying attention. Most of the time, my son is charming, elegant, a real gentleman, but underneath, when he thinks nobody is watching, he’s cruel, rude, violent, selfish, evil. Soon after, I connected the first dots.” She put her hand over the scar on her neck. “He told you this was from the car accident, right? It wasn’t. This was him, Hannah. This was the first one, after I told him he needed psychological help, and I’ve plenty of other scars on my back and …… everywhere. He did these. He cut me. He said it was my punishment. I’ve learned to behave the way he wants me to. Now, he doesn’t even hide his crimes from me anymore.” She rested her hand over mine. I would have pulled it away if I could. “I don’t want that to happen to you.”
She wanted me to be like her? To accept that her sicko son would rule my life, and cut me every time I looked in the opposite direction he wanted me to? She was even more of a sicko than he was. I would rather die right now than live the rest of my life under Eric’s influence.
I looked at her, hoping my eyes had enough begging in them. “Then cut my ropes, please. Let me go.”
“I can’t,” she whispered. “You shouldn’t want to leave too.”
“Excuse me?” How could she say that?
“Hannah, there’s no way of escaping him. Even if you run, he’ll hunt you forever. I know he threatened your sister. Don’t think for a second he won’t do it, because he will. Keep confronting him, and he’ll go after her in no time.” She shook her head. “It can be so much worse, Hannah. He can turn you into his slave. Literally. You’ll never leave the house.”
I looked out the window to the stable. It seemed peaceful, like it usually was, and for a second I wondered if I had dreamed everything that happened. If it was all a nightmare, soon I would wake up in my bed, Eric would be gone, because he had listened to me and accepted our break up, Jimmy would be taking Argus out to
the arena to exercise, and Paul would be preparing one of his classes.
The perfection bubble burst when I remembered Jimmy and Argus were somewhere inside the stable, bleeding and suffering.
Tears brimmed in my eyes.
I tilted my head to Chloe and peered at her. “Why did you tell me all this?”
“To show you he’ll act against you if you don’t do whatever he asks.”
“He already acted against me!” I chocked. He had killed my grandma and Hercules. He had hurt my father, and now Jimmy and Argus. And he did hurt Leo too—not physically but I had felt his pain as if it were a real cut.
“That’s what I’m telling you, Hannah. That’s nothing compared to what he can actually do.”
It didn’t make any sense. How could there be anything worse than killing, planning to kill, plotting against family, or imprisoning the person he said he loved?
I couldn't quite grasp why she was helping him, protecting him. I mean, he was sick. Crazy. A psychopath! But I wasn’t a mother. Even so, I couldn’t imagine defending a son of mine to this extent. More and more, I believed she was sick too.
Anyhow, she was my only way out of here. At least, the only one I could see right now. If I could appeal to her guilt or shame, I could convince her to loosen my ropes, of letting me use the bathroom alone, or something.
“Chloe—”
The front door opened and Eric stepped in, followed by Pete, his chauffeur. He still wore his practice clothes, but now he had a gun tucked in the waist of his pants.
He smiled at me, his award-winning grin. “Did you miss me?”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Pete watched me from the door, in a trained bodyguard pose, while Eric and his mother whispered in the hallway. I couldn’t make out the words, but they sounded harsh.
After quite some time, Chloe approached me with a tight smile. She bowed close to me and patted my hand. “I’ll see you soon,” she said.
My eyes widened. “What? Where are you going?”
Eric strolled into the room like a king. “Home. She’s going to start dinner for us.”
Like a true mother, Chloe kissed her son’s cheek, waved at me, and left.
At once, the air around me became dense and my breathing sped up. Without her here, how would I escape?
Eric gestured to the door. “You can wait outside, Pete.”
With a curt nod, Pete turned and walked out.
That left him and me alone.
Fear built up inside me, and my hand shook harder.
He sat down by my side, in the same spot his mother had taken before. “We’ll be gone soon too,” he said. He smiled at me, as if this were the most normal setting ever.
I swallowed down an ounce of my fear. “What are we waiting for?”
“Mr. Nash is on his way to sign the sales agreement.”
“Sales agreement?”
“Yes. You’re selling this piece of crap to him, and you’ll sign the sales agreement tonight. In about a week, we should meet at his lawyer’s office to sign the actual sales contract.”
I gaped at him.
First, how the hell could he do this to me? He said he loved me—which now I had my doubts. He was confused between love and obsession—but wanted me to sell what I loved most in this life? Second, how the hell could he asked Mr. Nash to come here? Here! Where a man and a horse were hidden in the stable, bleeding to death. Wasn’t he the least bit worried that Mr. Nash would see them?
Perhaps the no-worry went along with the no-regret from being a psychopath.
Though I hoped Mr. Nash came. Even if I didn’t like the man, he would see the things going on around him and he wouldn’t just wave them off, would he? No. I hoped not. I hoped he came and called 9-1-1 right away.
I shook my head. Shit, it was still hard to believe, even though everything pointed his direction. After his first freak out, I was worried about his temper and his jealousy. If only I knew there was much more to it. I’d dated and kissed and slept in the same bed as a psychopath for over two years without ever realizing it. Oh, he had already killed his father and his brother, and threatened his mother when he started courting me. My stomach revolved.
He took my hand in his. “Are you okay?”
I jerked against the ropes on my wrists and shot him what I hoped was a furious look. “Is this okay, Eric?”
“It’s for your own good, baby?”
“You’re insane.”
His closed his hand over mine and pressed it. Hard. I yelped. “Don’t fight me. Don’t argue with me. Don’t say things that I don’t want to hear. I love you, baby, but I can and I will make your life miserable if you don’t behave.”
The loud ring of the house telephone made him let go of my hand and shoot up to his feet, his hand over the gun at his waist.
Pain rippled from my fingers, past my wrists, to my elbows, and fear crawled up my spine.
“Fuck,” he muttered. He rushed to the telephone and pulled the wires from the wall. “There. Now it won’t bother us anymore.” He turned to me with his charming smile. Lucky me, I didn’t fall for that anymore. “Where were we?”
He took a step toward me, but a knock on the door made him halt.
“Mr. Bennett, there’s a car entering the property,” Pete said through the closed door.
“Is it Mr. Nash?”
“I don’t think so,” Pete answered.
Someone? Not Mr. Nash? My heart thumped against my chest so rapidly, I thought Eric would hear it and hit me for being this hopeful.
Cursing, Eric opened the door and spied out. Then he turned to me with an evil smile. “Oh, my luck.”
The fear returned, squashing any grain of hope I could have.
With the front door open, it was easy to hear the car parking, the door opening, and the heels clicking on the stone path. Heels?
Eric walked out, pulling the door closed behind him, to meet whoever was approaching.
“Hello there,” he said.
“Hi, Eric.”
My blood went cold and my heart stopped.
“Good to see you,” Eric said.
“Yeah, you too,” Hilary said, sounding bored. “Where’s Hannah?”
“Inside. Do you want to come in?”
“No!” I yelled.
“What was that?” Hilary asked. “Is she playing some game? I’m gonna skin her alive if she is.”
“Come in, you’ll see,” Eric said.
“No, Hil! Don’t!” I screamed.
“Hannah?”
The door opened and Hilary stepped in, followed closely by Eric.
All primped up in a cute summer dress and four-inch sandals, Hilary had just walked into my latest nightmare.
“No, Hil. Oh, God,” I cried as Eric locked the door.
Hilary turned in my direction and froze. “What’s … what’s happening?”
Eric put a hand on his waist, purposely beside his gun, so Hilary would see it. “We’re playing a game, like you guessed. Want to join us?”
Hilary’s wide gaze went from his face, to his gun, and back to his face. “What?”
“Leave her alone, Eric!” I jerked against the armchair. Crap, if this was a simple kitchen chair, I would be able to fall back and break it or loosen the ropes.
Hilary took a step away from Eric. “What’s happening?”
Eric brushed his fingers over the gun on his waist. “How about we start by having Hilary sit down so I can explain the rules?”
She glanced at me, unsure and scared. Fighting back the tears and the panic attack that was brewing in my chest, I nodded. She clambered back until she fell on the couch, her eyes always flickering between Eric’s lunatic expression and his gun.
“I don’t understand,” she whispered.
Oh, I didn’t fully understand it either. The only thing I understood was not wanting to get shot, or Hilary too. And, if right now I needed to kiss the floor that Eric stepped on, I would do it. Somehow, I would make sure this woul
dn’t end this way. However, each time I realized I had no idea how and if it would end, desperation gripped my heart, and all I wanted to do was curl into myself and cry.
“You know, we can make this work.” Eric paced across the coffee table from us, his evil smile wide. “Hilary will join us in our happily ever after, and it’ll be perfect.”
I felt sick.
“What’s he talking about?” Hilary whispered to me.
“I’m talking about you two behaving and doing exactly what I tell you to.” Eric halted. “Or I won’t have any other choice than to hurt you.”
Hilary glanced at me, millions of questions in her eyes. “What’s wrong with him?”
I shook my head, hoping she would shut up, but it was too late. Eric jumped over the coffee table and leaned over her, one of his hands on her shoulder, the gun under her chin.
She whimpered.
“Eric, please.” My voice broke. “Leave her alone. She’s confused and scared.” Not that I wasn’t, but I had a bit more experience dealing with him. “Please.”
He pulled the gun down, but leaned closer to her and licked her cheek. “She tastes good,” he whispered as Hilary flinched away from him, a disgusted look in her eyes. Eric raised his hand and slapped her. Her head whipped to the side, and she fell on the couch.
“No! Stop!” I cried.
Eric grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled her up to face him again. Hilary was crying.
I fought against the ropes, not caring that I was only hurting my wrists more. Damn it! “Eric, oh my God. Please, Eric.”
“She has to learn,” he said, his mouth hovering over her red cheek. “You’ll learn.”
A loud sob shook her body, making me cry too. I wanted to hug her, to take her out of here, to send her somewhere safe.
Eric knelt in front of her, trailing the gun down her neck, her shoulder, slowly along the strap of her dress. He momentarily stopped by her cleavage, and his eyes shone with something I knew too well.
“Eric.” I kicked my foot in the air, but he was one or two inches out of reach. “What are you doing?”
He smiled at me. “I wonder if her body is as perfect as yours.” With deliberate movements, he placed a hand over her knee and slowly moved up her leg.
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