Shades of Resolution (Distortion #3)

by Aimee McNeil

  “I’m fine. Stop looking at me like you have to hide all the sharp objects. Why are we stopped here, anyway?” Stephanie asked as she looked out the windshield to a small park with quaint wooden benches that overlooked a small lake. The sun set high in the sky and there was little breeze to break the intense heat. She was surprised there was no one around on such a beautiful day.

  Nate leaned back in his seat. “I just want to make sure we’re not being followed.”

  “Why would we be followed?” Stephanie turned her head so she could watch the wheels turning behind his troubled eyes.

  “There was something way off with that guy,” he confessed.

  “Alden? He only just found out his wife was abducted by a demented serial killer that was also very recently the mayor of his city, of course there would be something off,” Stephanie suggested.

  “No, it’s not that.” Nate’s phone sounded from the console of the car. He picked it up and looked at the screen. His face looked like it paled as he read the screen.

  “Who is it?” Stephanie asked nervously. She got a quick glance at the phone and recognized the name as one of the officers working on the Masten case.

  “Hello?” Nate asked in a reserved tone. “That’s me.”

  Stephanie could only watch helplessly from the passenger’s seat as Nate listened to the other end of the line. Despite the heat of the sun, she could feel the temperature drop around him. Her imagination began to run wild as she listened to Nate’s breathing. The only thing she knew for certain was the information he was receiving carved deep into him by the rigidness of his posture. Stephanie wanted to offer him comfort but she didn’t know how. All she could do was wait.

  Stephanie held her breath when Nate ended the call. “It’s nice to know people with connections,” Nate said, trying to be light, but it was unconvincing.

  “What was it?” Stephanie blurted. “What happened?”

  “They didn’t find my mother buried with the others,” Nate said as he locked eyes with her.

  “Oh.” Stephanie could tell her confusion was written on her face. “But I thought they already identified her?”

  “She was there…they found her body stuffed in a freezer in the basement.”

  Stephanie didn’t know how to respond as she stared at him with a heavy weight in her stomach.

  “He kept her in there for all these years…”

  Stephanie tentatively placed her hand on his arm, needing to know that she was doing something to relieve some of his pain.

  “I saw that freezer when we were in that basement. When we came for you…do you remember when I opened those other doors? I can remember seeing it sitting in the corner.”

  Stephanie covered her mouth. “Oh god,” she whispered.

  “Because she was frozen, her remains were better preserved than the others. It looks like she died from complications of childbirth.”

  “Did they find a baby?” The question burst from her without any thought.

  Nate looked at her, but all he could do was shake his head. They both remained quiet, lost in thought to what this meant; the horror of wondering if an innocent baby was killed or allowing the slightest hope that the child survived somehow. It was so overwhelming it was hard to digest. Stephanie could only watch Nate and wonder if the same thoughts were going through his head.

  Nate spun around in his seat, startling Stephanie before he suddenly reached over her and opened his glove box. Stephanie watched wide-eyed as he grabbed a handgun. “Get down and stay down,” Nate ordered.

  Stephanie slid down in her seat, completely frozen with fear. She was too terrified to turn around and look but she knew a car had come to a stop behind them. Stephanie held her breath as she tried to make herself as small as possible.

  Stephanie slapped her hands over her mouth to stop the scream that escaped her when the back window of their car exploded as gunshots rang out. Nate had opened his door and slipped out of the car. She had no idea where he was as she heard more gunshots and then the sound of struggling.

  Something slammed against the side of the car and made her jump. She glanced back to see Nate fighting with Alden. This was not the same man she had only just met, who had welcomed her into his home. This man had fire in his eyes and was intent on killing Nate. Stephanie looked inside the open glove box to see a knife. She grabbed the handle and tore off the case with shaky hands.

  Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, she crawled over the console of the car to the driver’s seat. Another bang against the car jolted her and she tumbled out of the car onto the ground. Her body trembled so badly she didn’t know if she would be able to stand as she looked under the car to see Nate and Alden’s feet still on the other side.

  “Oh god, oh god…” Stephanie whispered as she ducked down low and moved toward the back of the car. She looked at the thick forest that was only just on the opposite side of the road. She knew she could probably make it if she ran and hid. Every part of her screamed to run but she couldn’t leave Nate. She knew she would hate herself for it. Squeezing her eyes shut tight, she drew in a deep breath and looked up at the sky, praying for strength. She rounded the car but darted back as both men came barreling toward her, knocking into the side of the car, which caused it to painfully dig into her back.

  Nausea raked through her as she cringed from the pain. The men fought for control of the gun and a bullet shot off mere feet from where she was huddled behind the car. She cried out as she pressed herself back into the car tighter. Adjusting her sweaty grip on the knife, she knew she needed to act before Alden turned the gun on them.

  Stephanie grabbed hold of her survival instinct and acted. She lunged forward and jabbed the blade of the knife into Alden’s calf muscle as Nate pressed him against the car.

  Alden screamed out in pain as blood streamed down his leg. Stephanie scrambled backward, her eyes not leaving the knife. Nate knocked him backward and managed to wrestle the gun from his hand.

  Stephanie watched as Nate pulled the trigger and a red hole appeared on Alden’s stomach and his blood began to spread across his shirt. Alden looked down at his wound and placed his hand over it, watching the blood coat his fingers. He staggered on his feet before he looked back up at Nate.

  “I know that you gave your wife to that sick bastard, but what I can’t figure out is why?” Nate narrowed his eyes. “Why the fuck would you send the mother of your child to a man you know would torture and ultimately kill her?”

  Alden smiled sadistically. “Fuck you,” he said as he spit blood out on the ground.

  Nate released another shot, again into his leg, and Alden cried out and dropped down on his knee.

  “Tell me!” Nate screamed.

  “She was a cheating whore. She deserved what she got. Every fucking second of it,” Alden said cold-heartedly. Each second drew out longer than she thought possible as each bullet jolted his body until he dropped to the ground. Nate had released the entire round into him.

  Stephanie couldn’t take her eyes off him as she just watched his lifeless body. She wondered if this nightmare was ever going to end. The world didn’t feel the same. The evil of the world had ripped her veil of happiness away and she didn’t know what to think of it anymore.

  “Thank you, Stephanie,” Nate said, kneeling down beside her after an unidentifiable amount of time passed. She felt like she had been drifting for hours.

  “Thank you for what? Stabbing someone?” Stephanie said in disbelief.

  “It was him or us,” Nate said, nudging her shoulder with his.

  “It’s not that simple.” Stephanie shook her head. “That little girl lost her mother and now her father is gone.”

  “She has her grandparents. She’ll be fine. Trust me, that little girl is better off not knowing who her father really was,” Nate said without remorse.

  “How did you know?” Stephanie asked.

  “I had a feeling. I know he’s involved in this Stodden shit somehow. He was as ruthless
as the rest of them. I just have to find out the how part.”

  “I don’t even know what to say,” Stephanie confessed as she leaned back against the car.

  Nate stood up and walked around to the driver’s side of the car and returned a few seconds later with his phone. Stephanie watched numbly as he dialed a number and placed the phone against his ear. “I need to speak with Detective Haffey.”

  Stephanie pushed off the car and barely stood up before she threw up all over the ground, barely missing Nate’s feet.

  CHAPTER

  TWENTY-SIX

  Sabine

  “You always were the soft one, brother,” Sabine said as she picked up a bottle of red wine that sat next to a collection of empties and pulled the cork out. She brought it to her nose before she tipped it to her lips.

  The kitchen was a ghost of what it had been. It would have once been standing proud as the cherished home of an upper class family. The fine details were still present under a thick layer of dust and grime. It was once a trophy of success but now remained abandoned after something horrific tainted it. The home must had once brought envy to the neighbors but now it stood as a reminder that nothing is what it seems.

  People stayed away from this house, and that was exactly why Sabine decided it was the perfect place. The real estate agent jumped at the chance to rent it, and after she discussed terms, he agreed to let the paperwork slide. Sabine smiled to herself how easy it was to convince him to let her stay here unofficially.

  Sex could make any man bend, it was almost too easy. Just like all the ones before him it didn’t matter if he wore a ring, it didn’t matter who was waiting at home. Men were weak creatures, and if it didn’t serve her so well she would be disgusted by the fact that they swayed too easily from their morals. She enjoyed sex just as much as the next person, but it would never make her lose sight of her goal.

  “Are you gonna drink the rest of the bottle?” Flint complained. He was standing with his back against the wall and his arms folded across his chest.

  “I might save you a drop,” Sabine teased as she watched him with a tilt of her head. She tapped her fingers on the side of the bottle as she revisited old memories. “Do you remember all those rodents and disgusting little insects you used to collect and keep in boxes in your room?”

  “Where the fuck are you going with this, Sabine? I don’t want to drag up old ghosts.” Flint rubbed his forehead. The dark circles under his eyes showed his stress.

  “I still remember the look on your face when you came home and saw the pile of boxes in the backyard. Dad was pouring lighter fluid all over them. You begged him to stop. You were crying and screaming,” Sabine said thoughtfully. “And then whoosh.” She waved her arms to mimic the fire. “Our fucking father lit up all those little bastards you loved so much.” Sabine walked closer to her brother. He stared at her and she could feel his anger starting to bubble under his skin. Sabine pointed to the ceiling. “That little bitch upstairs is your pet and Stodden is our father. It’s a cycle you can’t seem to break. It’s only a matter of time before he destroys you. Just like our father did. Every. Single. Day. Take my advice now and walk away. You give people too much power over you.”

  “I was ten years old,” Flint said as he narrowed his eyes.

  “What’s your excuse now? You’ve been trying to win Stodden’s approval for years just like you did with Father. It’s pathetic.”

  “Shut the fuck up, Sabine. You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Don’t I?”

  Sabine wasn’t surprised when she felt the sting of her brother’s hand across her face. She smiled and wiped the back of her hand across her lips and saw blood just as she began to taste the copper on her tongue.

  She held up the bottle of wine and Flint grabbed it from her hand. He downed the rest before tossing the empty bottle across the room. They both watched it shatter against the wall and rain down on the floor.

  “I’m the only one who really cares about you, Flint. If you’re not gonna do what needs to be done, then I will. Just like I always have.”

  “What did you do?” Flint narrowed his eyes. His words sounded like poison as they dripped from his lips.

  Sabine placed her hands on her hips and gave him a sly smile. She knew it was only a matter of time before her plan became obvious. The look on her brother’s face would be priceless. “What the fuck did you do, Sabine? Answer me,” Flint demanded as he grabbed for her shoulders. His grip dug painfully into her skin, but she would never let him know it. She would never show anyone weakness; not even to her brother, the only person she truly cared about. Sabine watched his eyes widen slightly before his hands slid down her arms, falling to his sides. He looked down at his uncooperative hands, trying to flex his fingers.

  “Sabine…” Flint tried to force the words from his mouth but his tongue would no longer cooperate. He began to stumble and Sabine caught him under the arms before he dropped to the ground.

  “It will be all right, Flint.” Sabine helped guide him down to the floor and then propped him against the wall. “You were right, your little science experiments do come in handy.” Sabine tapped him on the side of the face. “I didn’t know how much to give you, so I may have gone overboard. You might have one hell of a headache when you come out of this, brother.”

  Sabine leaned back on her heels and looked at Flint leaning against the wall. She could tell by the look in his eyes he was livid. “You pushed me to it. I can’t let you make this mistake.” Sabine stood up and ran her hands over her face and then looked down at her fingers. “You know I can still feel his blood on my hands.” A strangled laugh escaped her.

  “Part of me hated you for constantly trying to impress Father. He didn’t deserve it. He didn’t deserve anything. That night…that night when he found out you had scratched his car. I stopped him. I knew he was angry. I did what I had to. You know that, right? That I did it for you.” Sabine bit her tongue hard to stop any emotion from appearing. “When they released me all those years later I hated the fact that you had found another bastard to crawl in the shadow of. You have to get your shit together, Flint, so I don’t have to keep coming to your rescue.

  “Neil!” Sabine screamed. She grabbed a pack of smokes off the kitchen table and stalked toward the stairs. She pulled a smoke from the pack and placed it on her lips and lit it with the lighter that was shoved inside the pack. She pulled the smoke deep inside her lungs and let it calm her. “Neil!” she belted again as she started up the steps.

  “Yes! What the fuck, Sabine?” Neil answered, coming out of the room they were keeping Lexie in as she neared the top of the steps.

  “We’re going ahead,” she informed him as she walked into one of the other bedrooms at the top of the stairs.

  “How’d you get Flint on board?” Neil asked, following her inside.

  Sabine spun around. “I didn’t, exactly.”

  “What did you do?” Neil asked with a cunning smile turning up his lips.

  “What needed to be done.” Sabine picked up her cell phone and began scrolling through the numbers but paused when Neil dropped to his knees in front of her. “What are you up to?” Sabine asked with narrowed eyes.

  Neil ran his fingers up the inside of her bare leg. “You’re so sexy when you get like this. You know what it does to me,” Neil said as he leaned in and kissed her thigh before he bit her skin, gently pulling with his teeth.

  Sabine leaned back against the desk behind her and a sensual moan escaped her lips as he pushed up her skirt. His fingers dug into her flesh as he moved slowly up the inside of her legs. His exploration tugged directly on her sex. A sensual heat flamed deep in her core as he rubbed her center with rough fingers.

  “Fuck, no panties. You are one hell of a woman.”

  “You know I hate that fucking word,” Sabine gasped as she threw her head back.

  “Panties.” He chuckled before sliding his fingers deep inside of her until he filled her. Sabi
ne grabbed him by the hair and pulled his head back. She could see excitement flare wildly in his eyes.

  “Don’t say that fucking word or I will cut you,” Sabine threatened before shoving his face between her legs. “Now stop talking and make me come.”

  Neil thrust his fingers deep inside her, over and over, his warm mouth and tongue pulling at her sensitive flesh. She could feel the pleasure dripping from her, she could see her wetness on his lips and face as he eagerly gorged on her. It took a little guidance, but Neil was so pliable that it didn’t take him long to know exactly how she like to be pleased.

  The numbing heat began to flood her legs and soon she felt as if she were floating, completely unattached to the world for the brief moment until pleasure snapped through her. The haze immediately began to dissipate. She had always thought a good orgasm was like a reboot to a system. Her thoughts were clearer and her body was now recharged.

  Sabine lifted her leg and placed her foot on his shoulder, pushing him back. He dropped back on his heels, looking up at her like a puppy waiting for a command. Her release was smeared across his face. If she had more time she would draw this out longer, but she knew time was limited. She needed to get in touch with her buyer and make sure the meeting was going ahead as planned.

  Sabine stood up, straightened her skirt, and picked up her phone.

  “What about me?” Neil asked, biting his lip seductively. His erection was straining against his pants. It wouldn’t faze her to leave him unsatisfied but she wanted him to have a clear head.

  “Touch yourself,” Sabine demanded.

  Neil hesitated for a moment before he grabbed the buckle of his belt and unfastened his pants. He shoved his jeans down his legs, releasing his throbbing erection. He wrapped his hand around his length and slowly worked his hand up and down the length. His mouth opened slightly, showing the pleasure that was reeling through him.

  “Faster,” Sabine ordered him.

  His strokes began to quicken as his eyes stayed locked on hers. Sabine grabbed his chin, shoving her thumb in his mouth and squeezed. “Faster.”