We start to gain a rhythm, him pushing up and me pushing down, and the friction feels like it could start a fire. The saying, “If this truck’s a rockin, don’t come a knocking” has just taken on a whole new meaning. If we go any faster, this vehicle will jump off the ground. We realize how much we’re moving the truck, so we slow it down a notch, but not much.
Each thrust makes me climb higher and before I can say his name, I’m free falling as my climax rips through me. He doesn’t waste time as he comes as I finish. Our hearts beat right next to each other, and every day, I feel more connected to him than the last.
“That was probably some of the hottest sex we’ve ever had,” he whispers in my ear. The sweat has dampened his forehead and his skin is salty against my lips.
“Couldn’t agree with you more,” I sigh into his neck. That’s when I smell fire and smoke. I scramble to get up as Donovan does the same. I look in horror as I see the Andersons’ house in flames.
“Oh my God,” I cry out as I see the smoke rising from just a few houses down. I snatch my clothes up and throw them on. “Shit!” My legs give out as I fall to the ground. Donovan scoops me up and carries me inside. He puts me on the couch and runs to grab the phone.
“Yes, there’s a house on fire. I don’t know if anyone was in there.” His voice is frantic and I can’t sit still. Then I suddenly realize something.
“Claire.” The name rolls off my tongue and it makes me want to vomit. My mind races, then it focuses on my son, who’s sleeping in the bedroom up the hall.
“Jackson!” I rush down the hall and swing open his door. Tears of relief flood my eyes as I see my sweet boy still sleeping soundly. I debate whether to wake him or not. Letting him sleep for now seems like the best answer. I walk over to kiss his head and cover him up more. My heart breaks as I watch out the window as his house goes up in smoke, and I can only pray that his adopted parents aren’t in there, burning with it. I really hope they listened to me and took off this afternoon. Glancing up, I see Donovan standing in the doorway.
“I already hear the sirens,” he says. “I’m going over there.”
“Oh, no you’re not! I don’t think so.” My words are stern and harsh, but he won’t leave my sight while all this shit is going on. I stand up to face him. “If you go, I am, too.”
“No, you need to stay here.” His tone is even more firm than mine. “You need to be with Jackson. I seriously doubt that if it was Claire and Frankie, they would be there right now. They would be far enough away to not be caught. As much as I hate them, they aren’t stupid.” He reaches up to my face and kisses me. “I’ll take your phone and if anything happens, I’ll call you on the house phone. But for now, let Jackson sleep. You might want to wake up your mom, though. I want someone up with you while I’m gone.” Before I can stop him, he’s out the front door, getting into the pickup truck we just made love in.
Sobs rack my body as I watch him drive down the road to the burning house. All of these “what ifs” invade my mind. What if Claire is there and something happens to Donovan? What if the Andersons were still inside? What if there’s nothing else I can do but question everything? When I can no longer stand it, I rush to the kitchen to grab the phone and dial my own number. I pace back and forth as I wait for him to answer, but to no avail. It goes to my voicemail and I begin to panic. The blood is rushing in my ears and my heart is going to explode in my chest. With no other choices, I walk over to the locked cabinet in the living room, find the key to unlock it, and grab just what I need. Then I race down the hall to my mother’s room to wake her. I need her to watch Jackson while I see what the deal is. I pause, then go into his room and kiss him one more time. As I cross the hall to her room, I take in a deep cleansing breath, then open the door.
Immediately she stirs in the bed. “What’s wrong, honey?” She sits up in bed and rubs her eyes. She reaches over to switch on the lamp on her nightstand. When the light cuts on, her eyes search my face, trying to figure out the problem. I come over to her side of the bed and kneel down beside her.
“Mom, I need you to watch Jackson for me. His house is on fire and Donovan went over there to see what happened and he won’t answer the phone. I’ll only be a few minutes, but I don’t know if Claire is involved in this or if the Andersons are okay.” Her mouth drops open as she gasps in horror. “Please, Mom. Please watch him and make sure he stays safe.”
“Don’t go, Allie. Please don’t go. I don’t want you to get hurt.” Tears start to well in her eyes and rips the heart clean out of my chest.
“Mom, I have to. I’ll be safe, don’t worry. I’ll take the handgun just in case.” The thought that I would even have to think about that makes me ill.
“Gun?” She jumps out of bed and puts her hands on her hips, staring at me in disbelief. I stand to look at her, trying to remain calm about this whole situation. “I don’t want any daughter of mine using a gun.”
“Yeah. Don’t worry, Dad showed me how to use it a long time ago. But what I need you to do is take care of my baby. I love you.” Without another word, I kiss her on the cheek and dash out the door before she can stop me. I start walking there since it’s not far and I don’t want to leave Mom without a car. The flames are still high in the sky and I hear sirens blaring in all directions. My feet start to run, moving my body forward while my mind is still trying to catch up. The moon and stars light my way very little, but I know the route like the back of my hand. Breaking out into a full sprint, I try to make sure I don’t fall on my face. The gun is heavy in my waistband, so I keep a hand on it so it doesn’t fall. Even with the safety on, I worry it might fall and go off.
Within just a few minutes, I’m standing in front of the house, watching it burn. Frozen in place, I look at the flames licking the roof and the firemen trying to put out the blaze. I make myself move, trying to find the nearest person to help me.
“Excuse me, do you know if the couple that lives here was in there?” I pray the answer the stranger gives me is the one I want to hear.
“No, they weren’t,” the woman said and shivers travel down my spine. I feel like I know that voice. But from where? I try to make out her face, but she’s turned away from me. She’s wearing a black jacket and jeans, even though it’s hot and humid outside. That’s really odd. Why in the world would you wear all black, in the summer, looking at a fire? My thought is interrupted when she mumbles. “Neither was the boy, which is too bad.” The last part is just above a whisper and I barely heard what she said, but I heard it.
“What the hell did you just say?” My anger surges as this stranger turns to look at me. I can’t believe what I just heard. Before she answers me, I see Donovan out the corner of my eye. He’s at the other end of the house, talking to someone, but the look of terror on his face tells me something is seriously wrong here. There are so many people here; firemen, police, neighbors. Nobody’s paying any attention to bystanders. A wave of fear washes over me and I feel like I’m watching someone else’s life happen, not my own. The person Donovan is talking to is also dressed in black, which is almost impossible to see against the dark trees.
Then it happens and there is no way to stop it. The person in black cold cocks Donovan and he falls to the ground. I start to rush to his side, but the lady in black grabs my arm. I smell a familiar perfume and it almost gags me.
“Oh, no, dahling. You’re coming with me.” I feel a pain in my arm as she either stabs me or gives me a shot. Before I black out, the last thing I think is I can’t believe Donna is in on this. That, and I’m going to die.
Chapter 15
Donovan
When I come to, I’m sitting in a dark, dank open room with nothing but a light bulb on a chain hanging over my head. I try to squint at my surroundings, but the pain stops me short. I try to reach up to checked the cut that’s oozing blood down my face and I can’t. My hands are tied to armrests of a metal chair and I start to panic.
Oh God, where’s Allie? Where’s Jackson?
>
As my eyes start to adjust to the darkness, I see that I’m in some abandoned factory-like building. The windows are dirty and some broken out, either by rocks or birds,. I have no idea where I am and I don’t think anyone else does, either. How long was I out? Am I in Virginia or Georgia, or neither?
Shit, shit, shit.
Right before Frankie sucker punched me, I saw Allie talking to someone else, dressed all in black. How could no one see this? Surely there had to be someone that witnessed this. I can only pray that God lets someone find me so I can find my Allie. I have to know what happened to her and that she’s okay. I try again with my hands, trying to wiggle them free from the cloth straps that are digging into my skin. Whoever tied these made them extremely tight, and it’s going to take me awhile to get out of this.
Why the hell would Frankie do this? In my heart, I know the answer. This was all Claire’s doing and she’s dragging him along for the ride. I wonder what she promised him; sex, money? Who knows? I just want out of here. Then I hear footsteps on the hard concrete floor.
“Who’s there?” I call out, but I can’t see anyone. It’s pitch black outside, like even the stars are hiding in fear. I hear a roll of thunder in the background. There’s no answer, only more footsteps coming towards me. My heart jumps into my throat and I almost vomit as I see who stands in front of me.
“Hello, baby.”
“Claire. What the fuck? What are you doing? Have you lost your fuckin’ mind, woman?” The muscles in my neck strain and I can feel the veins stick out as my anger boils over. “Where’s Allie? What have you done with her? Where’s Jackson?”
“Whoa, slow down, lover. So many questions so quickly. Don’t worry, you’ll get all your answers soon enough.” She walks closer to me, wearing the same black clothes as Frankie. Her hair is still fake blonde but her face has aged some. Overall, she still looks the same. The same person who makes me want to rip her throat out. She starts to circle me, like she’s the hawk and I’m her prey, unable to flee. I try to follow her, not wanting to take my eyes off her for fear of what she might do. I need to be able to see her hands to make sure there’s no weapon, like a shank she would make in prison. But I can’t turn my head completely around and that’s just where she stops. Her hand touches the back of my neck and starts to massage it. I try to jerk away. Bad move. She digs her nails in and I feel the blood start to trickle down.
“If you don’t play nice, then you won’t get your answers about your little whore.” She releases her vise grip and walks back around so she’s facing me. The musty smell is overpowered by her perfume and I try to breathe through my mouth. Thank God Allie doesn’t wear this much. I start coughing as she gets in close, almost nose to nose.
“Listen here. You gotta play nice here, or things could get very bad very fast. You got that?” I slowly nod my head as this may be my only chance out of here. “Good. Now that that’s established, there are some ground rules you need to abide by.”
“Rules? What is this, some sort of game?” I narrow my eyes at her as my hatred for this woman mounts.
“That’s exactly what it is. A game, under my rules.” She whips around to walk away into the darkness. “But you have to follow my rules if you ever want to see the light of day again, or your precious little slut.” Then, just like that, she’s gone, her footsteps fading into the blackness.
A game? How sick and twisted is this psycho? Her evil mind knows no bounds, and I fear for Allie’s safety. “Tell me this,” I scream out. “Is she still alive?” Blood rushes in my ears and my heart is almost certain to explode. At first, there’s nothing. No sound whatsoever. Then I hear her come over some sort of old speaker system.
“Yes, she is still alive. But her time is ticking, my dear. So play nice.” Then there’s static, then nothing again.
Thank God she’s alive. At least, I hope so. I hope she’s not screwing with my mind.
After an hour of nothing to eat or drink, I slump my head forward, dizzy from hunger and thirst. My anxiety is at a fever pitch and it’s wearing on me. I just want to hold her in my arms, tell her I love her one last time. The sting of tears pains my eyes and I just feel like sobbing. I want to hear her laugh, to see her smile, to touch her face. The worst thing I ever did was Claire. I wouldn’t be here if I would have just left her alone. Allie would never have gotten caught up in this if it weren’t for me. If I could turn back the hands of time, I would erase that vile woman from my past. But I can’t. And now look where I am. I’m stuck in a foul smelling room with nothing but my thoughts to keep me company. Thoughts of Allie and Jackson.
“Fuck!” I cry out, not able to control my emotions any longer. The tears start coming down and I can’t stop. I want to rub my eyes dry, but since my hands are literally tied, my shirt takes the tears. After fully exhausting myself, I pass out. Not sleep, just pass out. Only to wait for the game to begin.
I have no idea how long I was out as I flutter my eyes open. The morning sun is just now breaking and it faintly lights up the room I’m in. There’s nothing but a few old tables and a couple of chairs, then to my left, I see a door. I look to my right and I see another door. Which one could lead me to Allie? Is Allie even in the same building I am? I’m terrified about what could be happening to her. My hands are numb, but I notice that they’re a bit looser than they had been. I again try to wiggle out of them, then immediately stop when I hear a door open. It’s the one to my left. Frankie walks out and marches right up to me, looks at me deadpan, and says, “Sorry about cold cockin’ you, bro, but you kinda deserved it.”
I say nothing, since I was told to follow the rules, even if I don’t know what those rules are yet. He keeps on. “So, Claire decided that she still wanted you, after all this time. Why, I don’t know, when she could have a real man like myself. But that’s okay.” He looks up to my left again and I hear the door open and close. In walks…Donna?
“What the…?” I gape at my own stepmother as she saunters up to us. She’s also decked out in all black, just like Frankie. “What are you doing here, Donna?” My question is answered when she grabs him by his waist and pulls him in close, putting her mouth on his.
“Oh my God,” is all I can muster. If I could move my hands, I would have to pick up my jaw off the floor. I close my eyes to the nastiness that stands in front of me as these two idiots make out like a couple of teenagers at the movies.
“I can’t believe…you’re cheating on my father,” I say through clenched teeth, once I’m able to form words again.
“And? What’s your point?” she snaps at me as she rubs Frankie’s back. “All I really want him for is his money, anyway. I’m just trying to find a good reason to leave him and get my share.”
“You’re kidding me, right? Once Pops finds out about…” I stop in shock when she walks up to me and slaps me. The burn is fierce as the welt raises on my face. I groan as the blow also makes the cut on my head bleed again.
“You’re not going to tell him anything, do you understand?” Claire comes out of nowhere, wearing jeans and a white tank top. I’ve never seen her in such casual clothes. I turn to look at her, then cast my eyes downward. “Isn’t that right, lover?” She folds her arms across her chest, waiting for my answer.
I sigh, then say, “I won’t tell him.” This is making me sick to my stomach. She has complete control over me, and now so do Donna and Frankie. They are the holders of mine and Allie’s fate.
“Good boy. Now as long as you do what I tell you to do, we won’t have any problems.” She runs her red painted fingernails over the red mark that still throbs on my cheek. Inside I cringe with disgust, but since this is her game, I have to follow the rules. I stay perfectly still as she turns her attention back to her goons.
“I’ve been wanting to do that for so long, Donovan.” Donna’s voice is laced with hatred and disgust, and I’m sure she’s been just itchin’ to haul off and slap me. “You have no idea how much I enjoyed that.” She pulls away from Frankie and sla
ps the other cheek.
“Shit! That hurt!” I yell as the familiar pain pops up on the other side of my face. She only laughs as she rubs her hand.
“Oh, that felt so damn good. You’ve always been a little shit to me, now you’re getting what you deserve…dahling.” She turns away from me and back to her boy toy. He grabs her ass as he looks over her shoulder at me with a huge smirk on his face. It’s one that says, “Revenge is sweet. I’ll do to you what you did to me.” And the bad part is that I deserve that. I truly do, because I lost a good friend in the process. Now he’s helping hold Allie and I captive.
“How does it feel, Callahan? How does it feel to watch your stepmother in the arms of a younger man?” His eyes are cold, dark, and angry. “Does it piss you off?” I say nothing. “I sure as hell hope it does, you son of a bitch.” He moves in to hit me again and Claire stops him.
“Frankie, cut that crap out. Leave the boy alone for now. And go get him some water, too,” she snaps and it’s like a dog obeying its master. He releases himself from Donna and heads out the door. I can see the look on my stepmother’s face as she secretly glares at Claire. She still has a hold on her old stepson and she uses it to her advantage whenever she can. Donna lowers her head and follows him out, leaving Claire and I alone again, which isn’t good.
“Now, are you ready for the first part of our little game?” she asks as she pulls up a chair to sit in front of me. As much as I don’t want to, I say yes. “Good. Now, it starts off with me asking a question. If you get the answer right, I’ll keep loosening your ties. However, if you get them wrong, I make them tighter. And the same goes for Allie.” My eyes grow wide. “She’s depending on you to get them right, because if you don’t, things get worse for her, too.”
I gulp as beads of sweat form on my forehead. I just hope I can get all these right. So I ask, “What happens if I answer them all right?”
She smirks, then frowns. I will let you go as well as your little whore.”
Here With Me Page 11