Double Crossed

by Lacey Silks

  “He’s the man who hurt you, isn’t he? He’s the asshole who forced himself on you. The one I saw at the bar?”

  I nodded.

  “More than once?”

  My body tensed.

  “Fuck,” he whispered under his breath.

  “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” I pulled away crying.

  “Look at me, Annabelle. You have nothing to be sorry about. Do you not realize that he’s done to you exactly what Huntz did to your mother? Thank God he didn’t get you pregnant. He conned you into marriage and hurt you in the worst way a man could. Is that why you’ve been pulling away this entire time?”

  Another sniffle escaped me as I blinked with acknowledgement. “That’s why I got the shots. I didn’t want to take a chance. Any chance. And I prayed he didn’t carry any STDs. I got checked every two weeks at the clinic.”

  “Baby, you’ve been through hell. You should have told me earlier, Annabelle. You know I would have been there for you.”

  “I was so ashamed and scared.”

  Flattening his hand against my back, Derek brought me into him again. “I know, baby. I’m so sorry. None of this is your fault. I just wish I knew. I wish I could have helped you sooner. Wait, what about yesterday by the hospital? Was he there?”

  “He found me in the bathroom the first time we went to the hospital. And then yesterday.... I went to the store and back through the park... he grabbed me....”

  “Annabelle, sweetheart. I’m not letting you go anywhere on your own from now on.”

  “I want you so much. I want us so much that it hurts, but I can’t do it with lies. I want to love you the way you deserve to be loved—fully and wholeheartedly, and I can’t do it with Rick over my head.”

  “Annabelle, what’s going to happen when you go back?”

  “I’ve been thinking about avoiding him, maybe staying at a hotel instead of my apartment. I don’t want to see him. I’ve been looking into divorce papers and everything, but I don’t think he’ll sign.”

  “What you need is a good lawyer. Annabelle, I think you need to speak with Eric and Emma. I think she could help. I don’t want you going to San Francisco on your own. I’m gonna ask Blake to take care of the pig sale. There’s no way I’m letting you go back there without me. And yeah, I think we should stay clear of the apartment. What do you think, pretty lady?” He lifted my chin with his finger again.

  “I’d really like that. My brother’s gonna be so disappointed in me,” I said.

  “No one will be disappointed, Annabelle. You’re not alone. We’re all here for you. Eric loves you. I love you. We’ll find a way out of this.”

  “You really love me?”

  “Yeah, I love you with all that I am.”

  “I... I love you too.”

  Derek pressed his lips to mine. I took every ounce of passion he offered and couldn’t get enough of him. How in the world had I gotten so lucky to find him? Now that I’d told him the truth, I felt like the first knot that’d been tied around my neck had been loosened. For the first time in months, I felt like maybe I could find a way to get rid of the entire rope that Rick had tied around me.

  My robe slid off my shoulders as I found myself leaning back on the mattress. Derek opened the sides of the fabric, and I removed my arms from the sleeves, never breaking our needy kiss. His tongue demanded so much more this time, yearning for me to give myself to him, and I would. No more lies or holding back. It was time to reclaim my life and to be the woman I knew had once lived in this body. It was time to put my life back in order. I needed my heart to heal and my soul to find the peace I’d been denied. Lying naked underneath him, I grazed my hands over his body, feeling his entire solid length pressed to me. Derek’s muscles flexed, and the first ache of my need brewed deep inside me, swelling between my legs.

  Sometime between our kisses, Derek slid out of his wet underwear. He spread my legs with his knees to the side of my legs, getting himself ready, steadying the head of his cock at my opening. By this time I was panting. I wanted Derek to take me, to make love to me knowing everything about me. For the first time in years, I felt the hard weight I’d been carrying removed.

  “Make love to me,” I whispered into his mouth.

  “Annabelle, I want you to know that each time I’m inside you, I’m there because I love you, I cherish you and respect you. I want to be connected to you in every way that a man can, because I need you. I would not be a man without you.”

  Hearing Derek speak these words to me, I felt like the luckiest woman in the world.

  “I don’t deserve you,” I whispered.

  “You, deserve everything, Annabelle, including safety. And I will make it my mission to give that to you.”

  Derek’s tender kisses soothed my heartache. Freed of deception, I was pulled out of my darkness, for the first time enjoying Derek without any reservations.

  CHAPTER 17

  Annabelle

  We arrived at my brother’s ranch early in the afternoon, two days after I told Derek the truth. I’d never been as excited to meet someone as much as I’d been to meet Emma. Blake and Missy sat in the backyard, enjoying iced tea. A succulent aroma of barbeque filled the home. Baked potatoes, roasted vegetables, and variety of salads I’d never seen before were spread across the patio. I definitely didn’t imagine Emma as a cook, but Eric had mentioned that she’s been cooking with her mom for years and had picked up quite a few recipes from their family caterer. I just wished Eric could hear the way he gushed about Emma. He really had it bad for this woman.

  “Ribs and chicken will be ready in a sec. Emma’s just changing.” Eric handed Derek a beer. “So, you and my sister? You better be treating her well, you son of a bitch.”

  “Hey, watch your mouth.” Derek clanked his bottle with my brother’s before sitting down.

  “How serious are you two?” he asked.

  “Stop it, Eric. It’s serious, okay. Can we drop it?”

  “No, because I’m happy for you. I should have seen it coming when you objected to staying at the ranch, but I couldn’t be happier.”

  “Really?” I hugged Missy before plopping down in a chair.

  “Of course, Anna. Keeping it all in the family.” My brother gave Blake a high-five.

  “How does Emma deal with you?” I shook my head. “You’re a bigger pig than I remember.”

  “When did she become all mouthy? What did you do to my sister?” My brother accused Derek.

  “Let it go, bro. Annabelle has a lot on her mind.”

  My brother waved his hand, “Please, one more exam and she’s done.”

  If he only knew the stress I’d go through over the next week, he wouldn’t be so nonchalant. The idea of telling him the truth swirled the lunch in my tummy. Given I’d promised myself and Derek that I’d tell my brother the truth today, I hadn’t been able to eat much.

  “How is the house coming along?”

  “All good. A few final touches on the plumbing and we should be good. Maybe just in time for your mom’s release. If not, we have a bedroom at my house all ready.”

  As Derek and Eric caught up, I kept catching Derek’s gaze, wondering whether he’d spill about Rick to my brother. But he didn’t. He kept his promise. Not wanting to spoil anyone’s dinner, we agreed to wait until after to tell Eric about Rick and to fill him in on what had been happening in my life the past year.

  “How are you feeling, Missy?” I asked my sister.

  “Good. I’m finally able to keep my food down.” She laughed. Blake took her hand and held it lovingly.

  “I can’t believe I’m going to be an aunt to your baby, Blake. If someone told me this ten years ago, I would have laughed.”

  “I know. I’m really happy that we’ll be a family.” He kissed Missy on her cheek before gently rubbing her tummy. She blushed in response. They were the most adorable couple I’d seen in my life.

  “I couldn’t imagine not having you in my life, either, Anna. And what better w
ay than for my best friend to be my baby’s aunt?”

  “I’m so excited. Have you guys picked names?” I asked.

  “Not yet,” Missy replied. “We’re waiting to find out the sex of the baby. The appointment is when you return after your exam. You can join us if you’d like.”

  “I’d be honored. Aren’t you warm?” I noted the thick sweater draped over Missy’s shoulders. She’d changed so much since I met her. Besides the one sweater I’d always seen her in, Missy no longer wore the layers of clothing. Even the colors she chose had brightened. Derek told me she’d been spending a lot of time with Emma, and from what I’d heard, that girl liked to shop and was spoiling Missy as if they were already family.

  “Actually, for the first time in a long time, I am.” Blake helped her remove the sweater and placed it aside.

  “Did you burn yourself here?” I pointed to Missy’s arm.

  She rubbed over the mark. “No, it’s a birthmark. I wish I could get rid of it. I mean, you don’t have one and Eric doesn’t have one. This one must be from the other side of the family.”

  “It’s okay, Missy. You’re our family now,” I said.

  Blake pulled her in on the love seat they sat on. She leaned against him as he kissed her head, the same way Derek had always kissed mine. We were extremely lucky women to have them both in our lives.

  From the corner of my eye, I saw Emma exit the house. Dressed in the most stereotypical country attire, she looked absolutely gorgeous. Just as I was about to stand up and introduce myself, Blake cleared his throat, bringing my attention back to him and Missy. He had that look in his eyes, the same one I’d seen on Derek when he looked at me. My heart was hammering inside my chest because I got a funny feeling that Blake was about to announce his love for Missy in front of everybody.

  “That’s right. And it’s time that we made this official. I was going to wait for the sunset, Missy, but I can’t. Now that the most important people in my life are here, I want them to know just how much I love you and how honored I am that you’re carrying my baby. You give me strength every morning when I see your face and hope for a better future, and I would be the luckiest man in the world if you’d agreed to be my wife.” He then knelt in front of my sister, saying, “Will you marry me?”

  Tears were running down my cheeks. Missy’s eyes glistened, and when she blinked and said yes, wet pearls of happiness spilled out.

  “Woo-hoo!” Emma cheered. “We should have done this barbeque a long time ago. Congratulations, you guys. Oh Missy, I’m so happy for you.”

  After a round of hugs, high-fives, and congratulations from everyone around, I was finally able to exchange a word with our hostess.

  “It’s nice to finally meet the woman my brother’s been raving about,” I said to her.

  “Ahh, you talked about me, Cowboy?” She took my brother’s hand and hopped up on her toes before smacking her lips to his. Eric’s arm drew around her waist, pulling her in closer, lengthening their wet smooch until I heard a slight growl vibrate in his chest.

  “Of course I have. Save some of that for later, will you?”

  Emma turned to me, saying, “I’m so pleased to meet you too, Annabelle. We have a lot of catching up to do. Eric can’t stop talking about you, either.”

  “Really?” I asked.

  “Well, I’ve never had a sister and I pretty much know everything about Missy, so it’s time for us to chat. Do you want to help me in the kitchen?”

  “Yes, of course.”

  Before I snuck off behind the sliding door, Derek grabbed me and planted a wet one on my lips. To my surprise, my brother was able to keep his growl to a lower tone this time.

  When I joined Emma in the kitchen, she had a funny look in her eyes. Peeking over to where everyone sat at the patio, she ensured no one was looking before she asked, “So, when are you going to tell your brother that you’re married?”

  My mouth opened and closed a few times before I could utter a word.

  “Did you do a background check on me?” I didn’t mean to sound like I was accusing her. I liked Emma and loved how happy she made my brother, but I certainly didn’t expect her to begin our friendship this way.

  “Look, Annabelle. I want to start off on the right foot here, but you should know that I don’t do well with secrets. Especially with Eric. I’ve been holding on to this for a few days now, and it’s beginning to bug me.”

  “Have you told him? Why would you have checked into me?”

  “I haven’t told Eric, and I only did this because he asked me to. Don’t be mad at him. He’s been worried about you. You two have been apart for a while, and he said you seemed troubled by something. Anyway, I wanted to ask you about it first. I mean, the records are pretty fuzzy. You know, a quick city-hall marriage with random witnesses to a guy who you barely knew?”

  “Oh my God, Emma! What kind of an investigator are you?”

  “A really good one. Listen, I got a chance to dig up the information on your ‘husband’”—she quoted the word with her fingers—“in San Francisco. And it’s not pretty. I’m going to have to give Eric something soon, because we can’t exactly sweep this one under the rug.”

  “I think I need a drink.”

  She grabbed a wineglass for me and for herself and filled them both.

  “You can’t say anything yet. Please, Emma. I was going to do it today. Can you wait a few more minutes?”

  “Okay, so you’re not just going to lead Derek on, right? You think he’ll be okay with this?”

  “I’m not leading him on any longer. I told Derek the truth a few days ago. I told him I’d get the divorce papers drawn up while in San Francisco, and I’m going to try to figure out how to get out of this stupid marriage. He was so supportive. Too much for what I deserve.”

  “Ahh, he loves you.” She took a little jump up while squeaking. “This is so exciting. You know, it’s not that easy to get a divorce when you marry someone for money and commit fraud.” She poured more wine into both our glasses. For someone who knew that I was a criminal, Emma was definitely easygoing.

  “Wow, you really know everything, don’t you? So what’s gonna happen? Are you going to report me? I mean, I don’t really know what to do—”

  “Oh, Annabelle. I’m in love with your brother and consider you family, my family, which makes you the closest to a sister I’ll ever have. And sisters protect each other.” She winked. That was the moment I knew I loved Emma like a sister too. No one had ever stood up for me and supported me that way: without any expectations or doubt—especially someone I’d just met. I’d been away from Ogden for so long I’d forgotten what it was like to have true friends. Until Derek and Emma, no one had ever given me the hope that maybe everything could be fixed.

  “I also know when a woman is being taken advantage of and mistreated. You’ve been duped, Annabelle. Used and abused. And I won’t stand here and let that bastard hurt you any longer.”

  “How did you know?”

  “You just told me.” She shrugged, then waved her hand. “Don’t worry about it. It’s an old trick.”

  “But what I’ve done, that’s fraud. I’m a criminal.”

  She laughed. “Annabelle, I’ve seen criminals, and you’re definitely not it. Besides, I’m not one to judge. We all make mistakes. The trick is crawling out of them unscathed. Thousands of assholes get away with fraud every day, and I will go to my grave before I let a woman like you, who regrets her mistakes and didn’t even know she was making one, fall victim to red tape and go to prison or be fined for wanting to help someone so she could pay off her debts. And if you’re anything like Eric, I know that you tend to take all the blame on yourself when you shouldn’t.”

  I took a longer swig of my wine. This was too much. I expected tonight to be much more difficult as I told Eric the truth, but Emma seemed so lighthearted about everything; saying I was surprised was an understatement.

  “I think I need more wine.” I pointed to my glass. Emma
topped it off, smiling. “So, do you really think you can help me?”

  “I thought you’d never ask.” Emma almost squealed. “Oh, we’re going to get along so well, Annabelle. I can’t wait until Eric pops the question.”

  “Really? That fast?”

  “I learned from my brother. When you know you’re in love, nothing should stop you. Look at Blake and Missy. They’re so happy together.”

  “So, what are we going to do? Wait, do you really have a business trip to San Francisco?”

  “I do now.” She grinned from ear to ear.

  I wanted to cry. First it was Derek’s acceptance last night. Then Emma, who it seemed had booked a flight on her private jet to San Francisco just to help me.

  “Come on, Annabelle. Let’s eat, and then we’ll break the news to Eric.”

  “He’ll be mad.”

  “And I will be there to make him happy afterwards. No worries. I think you need a huge dose of love, Annabelle. This fucker in San Francisco really got to you, didn’t he?”

  She didn’t wait for my answer as she led me to the backyard. The dinner Emma had prepared was more like a feast. Everything was delicious. The sun was beginning to set when we broached the subject of our trip tomorrow. Every bone in my body ached when I thought I’d be leaving Ogden, but knowing that Emma was coming with me, my worries were eased. She was the strongest, most confidant woman I’d ever known. As I finished another glass of wine, the world was beginning to spin, but it gave me just enough courage to tell Eric what I’ve been up against the past year. Emma and Derek helped me with the story. Once I was done, my brother stood up, paced back and forth a few times, then came to my side, lifted me off my chair, and took me into my arms.

  “I’m sorry I’ve been so blind, Annabelle.”

  And I lost it. I cried on his shoulder like I never had before. It’s been a long time since I’d been honest with my brother, and I was so happy that instead of being upset, he kept apologizing that he’d failed me, although in all honestly he shouldn’t have been. I should have been smarter, and it’d take a long time before I’d acknowledge that Rick had “duped” me as Emma said. Maybe I’d been away from my family too long. Perhaps the life I led in San Francisco camouflaged the important values I’d held at home. It seemed that I’d forgotten all those values from Ogden the moment I left.