Stolen & Fractured

by Cee Smith

  We held their funeral in Kardamas—the small town where Dominic’s parents were from. Hundreds showed up, some there to pay their respects, but most there to thank Dominic. It was a very humbling experience for Dominic, having all of those people there to remind him that he was more than his mistakes. It was the final chapter in a battle Dominic had been fighting for more than a decade.

  Dominic clutched Lenny’s hand while Ellie leaned back into his legs. Clema was on his right as Scout clapped him on the shoulder. Jessa stood next to Scout with my parents on her right and my brother Adam on the far left. My nerves fell away while looking into the faces of those I loved. My whole life I had wanted to do something to make the people I loved proud of me, to be accepted, to do what they thought was the right thing, but in all of those times, I felt like something was missing. It wasn’t until Dominic that it all just seemed to click. He showed me what it was to live for myself, to have my own wants, my own desires, my own dreams, and to have all of their support while I realized that dream was the most wonderful feeling.

  “Thank you and good evening. I’m assuming if you’re here that you know me. You may have heard whispers of some variation of my story, have a slight inclination as to what my life has been like, or have seen my face splashed across the news at one point or another. Almost seven years ago, I was taken. I spent nearly two months alone and in the dark. Aside from losing my birth parents, it was the worst time of my life, but I do believe in divine intervention, and it led me to my husband. It wasn’t until a year later, when he was being falsely accused of abducting me, that I began to think about all of the other women who’d had it so much worse than me. What happened to me was awful, but there are many stories I’ve heard that make what happened to me pale in comparison. I started Harpooned Happiness for the survivors of these horrific crimes. For those who have been subjected to horrible atrocities that still occur in the best, richest, most elite, and sophisticated nations in the world. I want to bring an awareness that these crimes can happen anywhere, to anyone. Some of those closest to you may be victims. Alternatively, some people you know may have committed these heinous crimes that rob families of their children, mothers, wives, husbands. This cause is very dear to me and my family and we thank you for coming out tonight and for lending your support.”

  The room erupted in applause and I watched my family beam with pride. A breath of wind rattled through my lungs and I gasped the moment my mouth was no longer hovering above the microphone. The amount of people that had come was astounding, but to hear them clapping for me was baffling. It felt like I was doing something right.

  Ellie ran to the side of the stage, flitting through arms and legs to reach me first. “You did good, Mommy.” I looked across the crowd to watch Dominic making his way nearer. He gave me a wink as if mirroring our daughter’s sentiments, and I gave them all the hugs and kisses they were reaching for.

  “I’m so proud of you, Hailey,” Clema said as she squeezed between my bustling children to give me a hug.

  As we separated, I heard my sister’s voice, “You did really good, Hailey. You never cease to amaze me.”

  I gave her a hug, clinging to her shoulders a little longer than was necessary, but enough to shake the dizzy feeling that washed through my veins. This was the start of something new. This was me opening myself up to people in a way I’d never imagined. The thought was terrifying, but having my family to support me made it a little bit easier.

  “For a second there, I thought you weren’t going to make it.”

  “We were having trouble with the babysitter, but I wouldn’t have missed this for anything.”

  “Don’t believe her,” Scout said as he moved behind her. He wrapped an arm around her waist as he continued, “She didn’t want to leave the baby. Someone was having separation anxiety.”

  “He’s lying. I know Jasper will be just fine for a few hours without me.”

  “Is that right? I had to pry her hands from the door to get her to leave.” A flash of red splintered across her cheeks and she elbowed Scout in the stomach in retaliation. He rumbled a low growl and they gathered themselves just as the rest of the family came to congratulate me with hugs all around. When Adam leaned in to give me a hug, I noticed that almost everyone else had either drifted off or began engaging in conversation nearly with their backs to us.

  “I’m surprised you came. We haven’t seen you guys since the wedding.”

  “I know,” he said rubbing his blonde locks. His hair became disarrayed—an embodiment of the emotion that ignited like static between us. “It’s hard being away from Caroline like this, but I know this means a lot to you, to all of you.” He looked over at Dominic handling the girls, and his lips quirked as if he was holding a smile back.

  “Look at us. We’re all grown up now.”

  “Yep. Who would’ve thought…you actually found someone to deal with your crazy antics. I never thought I’d see the day.”

  “Yeah, she’s a real ball-buster too.”

  “Mom told me you guys moved back. You’re in L.A. now, right?”

  “Yeah, but we’ve been talking about possibly moving home. L.A.’s not really where I envisioned raising my kids.”

  “Well, I’m sure Mom and Dad would love to have you back home.”

  “She’d probably love having all her baby birds back at the nest.”

  “We’re all there. Everyone but you.”

  I looked over at Dominic still handling a rambunctious Ellie. Watching him with her made my heart swell. Not only could he be an amazing father, but he could also be an amazing husband. So much had changed since that night five years ago. It wasn’t easy, but in a way Dominic and I pressed “restart” that night. It took a while for me to trust him completely, but he never gave up hope that one day we would have the happily ever after that he said I deserved.

  With shoulders bunched, Dominic stood off to the side where I was sure he was listening to every word uttered between Adam and me. There was still some residual tension between Dominic and Adam, but they were cordial to one another, which was more than I could ask for.

  “Look, I’m going to—”

  “Oh, yeah, no. Go mingle. I just wanted to say congratulations.”

  “I’m really glad you came. Talk Caroline into moving. I think it’s time you came home.”

  “Thanks, Hailey,” he whispered. I clutched his arm in solidarity and made my way back over to my family.

  “You’ve been such a good boy. I think you deserve your treat.” I knew Dominic could feel me approaching him from behind, but he still tensed when my words drifted across his shoulder, reaching his ear.

  He turned and smiled. “You like to talk to me like I’m your puppy, but we know who likes to wear the leash.”

  God, those muscles. It was like clockwork with this guy.

  Every day since we’d arrived in Catanzaro, Scout would wake up early, throw open the curtains, and start with a set of sit-ups. I didn’t know how many sit-ups he did. I lost count somewhere around five hundred, but what I did know was that it was somewhere around 250 that his shirt started to show signs of sweat. I finally lost count when he sat up and peeled the sweaty mess over his head, his muscles bunching with every shift of his body. Scout’s body was so toned. I could make out every line of muscle from the waist up. I could only imagine what it looked like up close, like beneath-my-hands close.

  After a night of tossing and turning, I woke up sometime around 4 a.m. and scrounged around the kitchen to make coffee. I took my mug over to the living room to settle into the couch and watch Italian infomercials, when I noticed the light from Scout’s bungalow flicker on. I jumped, nearly upending my fresh Italian roast all over the pristine hardwood floors. What is Scout doing up at this hour? It wouldn’t hurt to take a peek and find out, would it? I set the mug down and lingered on the other side of the curtains, careful not to rustle them too much to draw attention. With steady hands, I peeled the curtain back just enough to reveal Scout
, dropped onto the living room floor and his body moving with rapid speed as he did sit-ups. With every thrust forward, the shirt he wore looked like it would shred between the stretch of his shoulder blades. I was mesmerized by the perfect form of his body, the way he had such control. What would it take for a man like that to lose control? It wasn’t the first time I’d thought that, and it definitely wasn’t the last as my sleep patterns started to adjust to a 4 a.m. workout session—not mine, of course.

  So there I was a week later, drooling on the other side of my window, wishing that I could just make a move. Ordinarily I wouldn’t think twice to ask a guy out, but Scout was different. He wasn’t some college guy. Scout was 100% man, a fully formed demi-god with a body made for war—but it was another kind of battle that pulled me out of bed when the moon was still high and the crickets were still out. Was Scout the type of guy to stay up and watch the sunrise with? He didn’t strike me as the kind of guy that would hold your hand and sneak kisses behind your ear. No, that seemed too sweet for that concrete of a man. He looked like the type to whisper words that would make my ears drip with lust, who would fuck me in a back alley because he was too desperate to even make it to the car. It’d been so long since I’d had any sex, let alone the kind of sex to masturbate to days later when the feeling of being full was starting to feel like a distant memory.

  I watched his whole session—sit-ups, followed by one-handed push-ups, and ending with some type of cross fit looking stuff. I didn’t follow fitness shit, but I definitely knew how to point out a fine specimen and Scout was definitely that. He sat with his arms folded across his bent knees and his head resting atop his forearms, catching his breath from the intensity of his last session. Like every other morning, I knew he would retire to the back of the house, most likely to take a shower to wash off all of that manly sweat he’d accumulated in the crevices of those lickable abs of his.

  When he slipped from view, ending his workout like so many days before, I realized I wasn’t ready for him to finish. I needed more. I’m going to do it. I’m going to go over there. Right now, actually.

  I didn’t know what I was doing, but I wasn’t going to deny myself a moment longer. What was the worst he could say, no? It wasn’t like I was asking him to go steady or anything. We were just two people with—I assumed on his part—at least a mild attraction to each other. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind dipping his stick, you know, to make sure everything was still working properly. What can I say? I was a team player. I knew how to take a hit for the team and besides, being Scout’s sex dummy would definitely have its perks.

  ***

  With the security system in place, I didn’t need a key to enter his home, just a simple press of my thumb and the lock clicked with a pivot of metal that was loud enough to give the crickets a run for their money. I hoped the sound wouldn’t alert him of my presence, but then I remembered he was most likely in the shower and probably hadn’t heard anything. There was no plan in place when I decided to cross the ten feet of yard separating our bungalows, but now that I was inside his home, I couldn’t turn back. Truly, I couldn’t turn back without the system alerting him of my presence—one of the security features we were told about. So the only way out was forward. As I descended further into the house, creeping down the hallway on tippy toes, I realized this was probably one of the most reckless things I’d ever done. The man was built like an iron statue. Nobody in their right mind would even think to surprise a man like Scout, especially not by sneaking into his home unannounced, but I couldn’t stop myself. I needed to do this, needed to see if he felt the same way I did.

  “You didn’t diddle me while I was out or anything, did you?”

  “Ha,” he chuckled and shook his head, his blue eyes sparkling like aquamarine jewels in the sunlight. “I like my women a little more lively. Sorry you don’t quite fit the bill yet.”

  “Charming. Did you get lost on the way here?”

  “Why, you saving this seat?”

  “Yeah, you’re probably sitting on the ‘reserved’ sign? Don’t bother trying to find it. You’ve probably flattened it to dust anyway.”

  “And you called me charming…”

  I didn’t even want to think about what my hair looked like as I patted it against my head, feeling frizz balls that were big enough to house a family of rodents. My fingers got snagged more times than I cared to count as I tried to make myself somewhat presentable, at least in hospital standards. I’m sure these weren’t the usual worries liver-transplant patients normally had to deal with, but they didn’t normally wake up to unannounced visitors with a body that could rival Zeus’s.

  Scout was the last person I expected to see after I woke up, but I wasn’t going to complain. I’d had very little conversation with him up to this point, but he was generous in sexy smiles and flirtatious winks whenever I was around the house. I never told Hailey about my attraction to Scout. He felt like my little secret whenever we were around each other.

  I reached for my cup of water, positioning the straw between my parched lips before guzzling to my heart’s content. I would kill for a toothbrush and toothpaste right now. I slurped harder, trying discreetly to swish the water around my cheeks to break up any lingering funk.

  “What time is it?”

  “It’s 10. Your sister just left a little bit ago with your mom.”

  “And what? You thought you’d keep their seat warm?”

  “Something like that,” Scout winked and I set the cup back on the table. Moments later I drifted back to sleep.

  The curve of the stones bit into my back as I braced myself for what was next. I was no longer in the hallway. I was only a few feet from his bedroom door. The door was shut and I could make out the faint sound of water running. With a deep inhalation, I pressed on, making it just outside his bedroom door with my hand bracing for the doorknob. There was a brief moment when I thought this would be where he yanked the door open and pulled me in his bedroom to ravish me, but when the door stayed closed and there was no sound coming from the other side, I turned the knob.

  The bedroom was like mine, all neutral colors and soft linens. The headboard was a warm oak color with ocean blue sheets. A white rug with piles that looked handwoven sat beneath the bed. A warm glow washed the left wall and turned the white curtains amber.

  The sound of running water was clearer in the bedroom, and I was reminded of why I was there. I took a step closer to the bathroom when I was pushed against the wall in a move that stole the breath from my lungs before I had a chance to scream bloody murder.

  “What? Did you think you would just be able to sneak in here without me knowing?” Scout held me against the wall with one arm braced across my collarbone, pinning me as if the rest of his body wasn’t doing a good enough job. I could barely make out the muscles that enraptured me day after day, for the little space he left between our bodies, but I felt them. They melded into me like a second skin, fusing us together in what little darkness the room clung to.

  “No, I didn’t mean to—”

  “What did you think would happen when you came here, Jessa? Because I have to say I don’t remember Little Red Riding Hood showing up at the wolf’s house.”

  “Is that your way of telling me you’re a wolf?”

  “I have a feeling you already know the answer to that,” Scout whispered against my neck, reminding me of the thin tee that I went to bed in last night. The neck was stretched and with a slight breeze or movement the strap fell off my shoulder to hang uselessly on my arm—which was where it currently sat as Scout inhaled a lungful of air. Is he smelling me? Can he even smell me over the scent of his sweat and that woodsy smell?

  “Maybe. But maybe that’s what you like about me.”

  “Who says I like you?” His voice came out a grumble and he stared into my eyes as if I would break like so many other men probably had beneath that penetrating look.

  “Well, that, or the extra dose of testosterone has your cock looking for a cave
to hide in. Your next words will tell me more about the kind of man you are, so choose wisely. I wouldn’t want you to ruin my perception.”

  “And if I told you fuck your perception?”

  “You’re evading.” His eyes watched my lips as my tongue wetted my bottom lip.

  “Only a blind man wouldn’t get hard looking at you, but I’m not the kind of man you should get involved with, Jessa. You need some preppy, pretty boy who plays golf and wears loafers. You know, someone untainted.”

  “You don’t seem tainted to me. And maybe those pretty boys leave something to be desired.”

  His eyes slipped and a groan escaped his lips as I pushed my hips closer, aligning our bodies so his cock was cuddling the outside of my lips. I felt him pulse with the brush of my legs as they squirmed into that just-right position.

  “You better be sure you want this Jessa because once I take you, you’re mine.”

  “You promise?” I raised my eyebrow, putting every effort into seducing him to take me.

  He pulled in close to the wall, his head resting just above mine and I looked up to see his jaw twitch before he bit my earlobe. His warm breath fanned across my skin, making my skin dance in a rippling wave of need, and when he nibbled my ear, I thought I would melt into the floor. Scout was kissing me. His arms didn’t let up. He didn’t allow me any room to move, but he was kissing me and I fucking loved it.

  “I hope your pussy can take a pounding. I don’t hold back for anyone, baby.”

  “Pound away,” I breathed through the stupid smile that I couldn’t stamp out, but when he smiled back, his eyes shining like two pools of sapphire, I realized what I wanted most was to wake up tomorrow morning and see that very smile greet me.

  I grabbed the back of his neck, pulling his head close to mine and I tasted him with soft licks and low groans that seemed to vibrate his lips apart. Before I could blink, he had my hair within his firm grip, tugging my head back as his lips descended on me, whipping my nerves into a frenzy. A current passed through my body begging for me, for relief, for release. I had spent months thinking about Scout, about the reserved man that said so little but had an abundance of fire that was brimming just beneath the surface, waiting for the right time to burst from its chains. I wanted to be the reason Scout came undone.