by Melissa Jane
Instead, my heart broke taking in the bruising around his eye and cheekbone, and the nasty split lip that was still swollen. With tears falling, I went to caress his face but was stopped when his eyes morphed back to the hateful darkness I’d seen earlier.
“Leave us alone, Gemma,” Mason’s voice ordered from behind, startling me.
I turned, keeping my shoulders back and head held high. I wasn’t about to let him bully me anymore. “Who I talk to is not up to you, Mason. You don’t control me.”
I could have been wrong, but I saw the familiar glimmer of challenge in his eyes. “Lucas,” he said, not breaking his penetrative gaze from mine, “Mom’s suitcase is all that’s left. Go and get it,” he ordered, but Lucas didn’t move, his pinkie still entwined with mine. “Now!” Mason bellowed causing me to take a step back and issuing Lucas into action.
I watched as he left my side and reluctantly headed back into the house. Mason waited until we were alone to continue, “Stay away from him, Gemma,” he warned again.
“Why?” I seethed. “What’s happened?”
Mason remained quiet, eyes narrowing.
“What have you done, Mason?” I probed again.
“We’re simply getting a fresh start somewhere else.”
“Bullshit! I saw you last night. I saw what you were doing.”
The corners of his mouth twitched. “And what exactly did you see, Gemma?”
“You know exactly what I—”
“You didn’t see anything,” he cut through but followed it with an indifferent shrug of his shoulders.
“I did. And now you’re dragging Lucas down with you.”
My accusation pissed him off. Mason stepped forward until his body pushed mine against the car. His sheer height dwarfed me, and he knew he held the power position.
“You need to remember one thing, Gemma,” he said, eyes loaded with silent fury. “Whatever you saw last night was all up here.” His finger tapped the top of my head.
“I know what I saw,” I replied defiantly.
“You didn’t see shit, and you know why?” When I didn’t respond, he took my silence as a cue to continue, “Because if you breathe a word of any of your sorry tales to anyone, and I mean even a hint of it, I will find you, and I promise I will slit your throat.” This time he dragged the length of his finger under my chin to demonstrate.
I flinched at his touch, and he smirked.
“And then do you know what else I’ll do? I’ll sit there and watch as you slowly bleed out and tell you all about the night I broke into your room and did all sorts of nasty things to that little body of yours while you slept. And if you’re an extra bad girl, I’ll tell you all about how you enjoyed it.”
My blood ran cold, my spine stiffening.
He was bluffing.
Or was he?
It couldn’t be true… it just couldn’t.
“You’re lying to me.” I swallowed hard. “You’re lying so I’ll stay quiet.”
“Talk, and you’ll find out just how true it is.” His smile widened with victory. “Breathe, Gemma, or you’ll pass out.”
I hadn’t realized I’d been holding my breath.
“Now… what did you see last night?” he asked, testing me.
My bottom lip trembled, and I couldn’t form the one word he wanted to hear.
He cocked his eyebrow and pressed his body harder, wedging me between him and car. “Tell me, Gem. What did you see?” His fingertips grazed over my chest, pushing aside my gown to reveal his carving. A move to remind me of the control he’d always had over me. The control he’d always have.
“N-Nothing.”
“Good girl.” He took a step back. “Now run back to Mommy and let her know how great her tits look in that dress.” With a wink, he turned on his heel and headed back toward the house, a sadistic laugh left in his wake.
On shaky legs, I rounded the car and staggered back over the driveways to where Mom stood waiting.
“Well?” she asked, oblivious to the interaction.
“I don’t know,” was all I could manage.
“What do you mean you don’t know? You were speaking with Mason for quite some time. Gem? Gemma, are you feeling all right? You look awfully white…” my mother continued, but I couldn’t hear a word. The only sound playing over in my mind was Mason’s voice and his sick promise. Whatever had gone down last night was terrible enough it warranted the Carters to leave town.
Car doors began to slam.
One. Two. Three.
An engine started, and sadness took hold. Mason was in the driver’s seat, his mother next to him, his brother in the back. With the car loaded and house locked, the car began to roll out of the driveway.
Lucas’s sad eyes met mine, and my legs moved without effort toward him. It was like a gravitational pull drawing me to the one person I loved. The one person I was being forced to let go without so much as a goodbye. The car picked up pace, and so did I. Lucas turned in his seat watching me, his palm against the window, a solemn farewell.
“Wait,” I mouthed, running after him. My heart was tearing into a thousand pieces, tears blurring my vision. I was too slow. I watched helplessly as the car pulled out onto the road and turned right down the street at speed. Defeated, I fell to my knees on the concrete drive and sobbed until my chest hurt.
“Darling,” Mom spoke gently behind me, her hand caressing my hair in an attempt to soothe the situation. “Darling, I don’t know what’s going on, but this won’t be the last time you see Lucas. You’ll always find each other.” She knelt beside me and pulled me into her arms and kissed the top of my head.
“I promise he’ll find you.”
What she didn’t know was that the wrong brother would not only find me, he’d hunt me down.
Chapter 26
NOW
The detectives sat in silence after I finished revealing the events of that night. Their stares never wavered, lost in thought as they pieced together the puzzle.
“Are you sure you don’t know the name of Mrs. Carter’s boyfriend?”
“Lucas and Mason never told me. It was almost like if they said it out loud, it would be giving the monster a title. A title that would make it all too real.”
“Did you ever see this man in person?”
“Never. The only thing I saw were the bruises he left on the boys. I heard his voice whenever he came to stay. I think everyone in the neighborhood heard his insults and threats. He made no effort to disguise his contempt for the Carter family. It was almost like a sport for him, to see how much he could hurt the people who once welcomed him into their home.”
Kinross and Walsh continued to listen intently, absorbing all the information that could assist with their case. In truth, the information I had to offer wasn’t much. There was no way of proving there was a body wrapped in the tarpaulin. Kinross obviously didn’t think so.
“Would you say the tarpaulin was body length?” he asked, his index finger tapping on the arm of his chair.
I nodded. It had been. I couldn’t discount the fact that it took two people, who struggled considerably, to carry the long roll. Carrying it like one would when transporting what could possibly be a dead body.
A silence ensued, and I watched Kinross’s chest rise and fall heavily.
“Do you know what happened to it after that night?” Walsh inquired.
“Like I said, Lucas got in the car without saying another word to—”
“But you were there by the car when Mason threatened you. Did you see the blue tarpaulin through the trunk window?”
“The trunk was piled high with boxes and suitcases. I doubt it was still in there. There wouldn’t have been any room.”
The detectives turned to each other and deliberated for a few short minutes, their voices hushed, both wearing frowns.
When they turned back to me, Detective Kinross cleared his throat before speaking. “Gemma, we need you to tell us where we can find this cabin you’ve mentio
ned. You say Mason Carter spent a lot of time out there when he wasn’t at home.”
After repeated incidences at Little Wren, I avoided the place and didn’t return after I walked in on Mason and Joanie. As a result, Mason had claimed the cabin as his own personal sanctuary away from the abusive household his mother ran.
“I’m not going back there, but I can show you on a map.”
“We can arrange that.” Kinross nodded in agreement.
“So, what now? I’ve told you everything I know. I’ve revealed the one thing Mason was desperate for me to keep secret. When he finds out I’ve told you… I’m dead.”
~
That night I went home with a former SWAT-man.
‘B’ as he called himself. Not wanting to reveal his true identity, was now a contractor for the department to act as a bodyguard. He was big, well-built, with shoulders of a quarterback. B was a man who took his job seriously and dotted his I’s and crossed his T’s with every flicker of his alert eyes. His strides were long and confident, and no one escaped his critical character assessment. Dressed all in black, B wore a cuff around his wrist made up of strands of leather. He was also a man of few words, and when they did leave his mouth, they were blunt and cut to the chase.
“Go,” he ordered, holding open the door and gesturing for me to enter. B had done a walkthrough of each room, returning confident in his assessment.
Dumping my bag on the counter, I walked to the linen closet and pulled a spare pillow and comforter off the shelves before turning back to B. He was peering out at the fire escape steps, no doubt ensuring they were trespasser proof.
“All I have is the couch,” I said, apologetically. “Other than my boyfr—” I cut the tainted word off, knowing it would take some getting used to not saying it. “Other than my ex, no one has ever stayed.”
“I won’t be sleeping, ma’am.” B remained focused on what was happening outside when he dismissed my offer.
“Please, just call me Gemma.”
“Ma’am will do just fine.”
“Fine… um… I’m going to shower and head to bed. So, help yourself to whatever.”
B, lost in his world of protection didn’t say another word.
Giving up on the personality war, I headed to my bedroom and closed the door, relieved I’d at least be granted a good night sleep.
~
The digital clock clicked over to 1:00 a.m.
Sleep had evaded me.
I was still wide awake entering numerous Google searches, piecing together the whereabouts of Lucas. In the dark, with just the glow of my cell, I found Carter Construction to have an office in six states. What each state had in common was they were known for their heavily wooded landscapes. Lucas had made a living out of building cabins.
A smile both bittersweet and full of pride formed. Lucas always was the more sentimental of the two. Clicking on the images tab, more photos revealed his handiwork. Brilliant craftsmanship creating a mix of luxury and traditional log cabins. The most recent picture was dated only two days ago from a couple blogging on the process of the construction taking place and naming Lucas as their builder. Reading further I found the location. River Bend, North Carolina.
Opening a new tab, I entered flights from JFK to North Carolina and booked two tickets for mid-morning.
Crawling under the sheets, I wore a smile even with my stomach twisting with nerves. By lunchtime tomorrow I would once again be sharing the same air space as Lucas Carter.
~
“I’m sorry… what?” Kinross looked at me in disbelief. B had called in the big boss when I announced he would be traveling with me to North Carolina.
“I need to see Lucas. And if doing that means I need to take my chaperone with me, then I will,” I replied while pouring three coffees. “I’ve paid for B’s ticket, so it’s at no cost to the department.”
“The money isn’t the issue, Gemma. We haven’t yet cleared Lucas of any wrongdoing and—”
“Lucas isn’t guilty of anything, and certainly is not—”
“And…” he spoke loudly, “… any involvement with him before the case is solved may implicate you.”
“I’m happy to take that chance,” I said, handing each man a mug. “Besides, if Mason Carter is still watching, he’ll see I’m headed straight for Lucas. He was always jealous of our relationship, so this is not something he will ignore. He won’t be able to resist himself.”
Kinross studied me curiously. “And you’d be willing to put yourself in harm’s way?”
I scoffed, cupping the mug with both hands. “Mason has been following me for God only knows how long. He’s like a disease that lays dormant for a while until one day something happens and it’s tickled awake, on the prowl and overrunning your body. No matter what I do or where I go, Mason will find me, and if it means intentionally antagonizing him and putting myself in harm’s way for him to be captured, then I’ll do it.”
Chapter 27
The flight had been an anxious one. Seeing Lucas again after so long was a terrifying thought.
There was always the possibility he was married with children and wanted nothing to do with me. After all, it would explain why he’d never come to find me.
And then there was the next extreme.
What if Mason’s influence had rubbed off, and he too saw me as the enemy who carried their family’s darkest secret?
Before we’d left, the three of us had nutted out a plan. It took some convincing, but Kinross soon came around to the notion and ideas began to flow. B traveled at a safe distance, ensuring there was no affiliation between us. The objective was for me to be seen flying solo to lull Mason into a false sense of security. Hiring a car, I drove a couple of hours from the airport to River Bend. Cutting through town, I found myself taking the less traveled roads through the thick woods filled with lush green pine trees.
“You have arrived at your destination,” my navigation system announced.
I slowed, looking at the questionable destination I’d been guided to. There was nothing from the road to signify I had arrived anywhere. I traveled another fifty yards until I finally came to a narrow drive on the left. Putting on the turn signal, even though it seemed I was the only one on the road—B too far behind to see in my rear view—I slowed to take the turn. Tarmac turned to dirt, loose stones flicking up the metal paneling of the rented silver Toyota. The car jostled around on the well-worn tracks bouncing in and out of potholes. I smiled knowing Lucas had created these tracks to build the lakefront cabin.
The journey over the dirt track was longer than expected, the edges of the woods seemed to inch closer narrowing the road ahead, branches scratching against the windows. I followed the twists and turns, the smell of pine wafting through the air vents. I was heading further and further away from civilization, the trees taller, thicker, creating a canopy that blocked the sun.
When I saw a clearing, I exhaled in relief. For a long while, I’d been fearful my suddenly quiet Navman had led me astray. No doubt B would be seriously questioning whether he’d been duped. Slowing to a crawl, I dialed his number and put him on speaker. There was a thirty-second silence until I heard the double beep signaling a failed connection. I was out of range, and that was not ideal. Slipping my cell back in my handbag, I sat forward in the driver’s seat wanting a better view of what I was entering.
There, in the middle of the clearing upon pine needle covered grass, was the luxurious cabin commissioned by the state’s congressman. Tools were neatly assembled at the front of a stack of tree logs. The cabin itself neared completion with just the porch requiring a roof.
Pulling to a stop, I climbed out and gently closed the door. The air was fresh, the sound of nature the only noise. Smoothing my top, I stopped walking when a man appeared from around the side of the cabin. He too stopped, caught by surprise when he saw me.
It wasn’t Lucas.
This man was darker skinned and shorter than what I expected Lucas to be. He threw me
a look of curiosity before leaning back and talking to someone out of view. Inhaling deeply, and willing myself to be more courageous, I walked toward the man, my boots crunching the debris on the ground. As I approached, he gave a small smile and nodded.
“Afternoon, Miss,” he greeted warmly.
“Afternoon,” I returned the greeting.
“The boss will be right with you.”
My stomach churned with an anxious anticipation, palms sweaty as I fiddled with the car key. The man carried on about his business cutting into one of the tree logs with a hand saw.
Nervously continuing my journey, I stopped at the end of the porch and watched the figure move on the beams above. He had his back to me as he bent down to use his nail gun. Sensing he was being watched, the man turned, balancing his boots on the framework.
My heart stopped.
Our eyes met.
It was him.
The same strong jawline now covered in a five-day growth did things to me I’d never felt before. His shoulders had widened, muscles bulging from his well-fitted shirt.
Lucas frowned, a world of thoughts passing through his mind. For a few intense moments we just stared, taking in each other in, absorbing the enormity of the situation. Without saying a word, Lucas bent at the knees and swung from the beam, landing on the wooden deck with the prowling grace and strength of a lion.
My heart sprung to life. Lucas had always been a good-looking teenager, but in ten years he’d grown into a man, with carved Adonis muscles. His choice of work had shaped him nicely.
I froze, ecstatic and terrified.
Lucas made the first move. He closed the intolerable space between us, strong arms wrapping around my waist pulling me into an embrace. My cheek rested against his hard chest, and I could hear the pounding of his heart. We held each other tight, and I quietly sobbed.
This was what we missed the day he left.
This was ten years’ worth of goodbye in one embrace. Except this time, I wouldn’t be walking away.