"It's still a lot to take in. You'd better go," Hunter said when the cab honked again.
"I'll call you when we land." Joe's lips turned downward. Hunter almost felt bad for the guy. "Bye." He pulled the door shut behind him.
Hunter headed for the window and drew the curtain back a little, watching as his old friend staggered down the sidewalk toward the waiting cab. He heaved a sigh, unsure if it was one of relief or sadness.
"Are they gone?" Becca's quiet voice pulled him from his thoughts.
He faced her. "Yeah."
"I guess I should have said good-bye."
"You didn't have to. At least now the tension is over since they left. I still-" He sighed again. "Damn it. I can't shake my frustration."
"I can't either. I tried painting. My hands are shaking so much that I can't make a straight line if my life depended on it." Becca crossed the room, straight to Hunter's arms. "Know what's sad? I still feel kinda guilty about Nathan. There was already enough unnecessary death. His life changed because of certain events. Maybe he needed closure, even in a sick way of trying to hurt us, but I can't shake the guilt that he died because I fought him off."
"Don't say because of you. We've already had this discussion," Hunter warned, holding her close. Yeah, he got the guilt feeling all too damn well.
"I wasn't going to. Not this time. Not like that, anyway." Becca stiffened, then pulled away. "I just thought of something. We're getting texts. Joe got one. Vince at least knew something happened. What if-?"
Hunter put two and two together. "Vince tipped him off?" he finished.
"Oh God, I didn't even think of that. I was wondering if maybe he got a message, too. Or my- the Langes. Maybe someone tipped Nathan off. If we're all being watched. I don't know..." Becca puckered her lips in thought.
He muttered under his breath. "If the Langes did, wouldn't they have called us by now, wondering what we were up to?"
Becca's eyelids lowered. "Maybe. Vince said something about my grandmother not being well. Maybe guilt is affecting her."
"I doubt those people have a heart that isn't made of stone," Hunter scoffed. "Like they'd ever feel guilty."
"I don't know if there's ever been a time we've both been this angry, not at once." Becca held his hands. She was definitely still shaking.
"I've got an idea to help relieve some of it. I haven't done this before, but it was suggested by someone at a meeting," Hunter recalled.
"What?"
"Take it out on a punching bag. We'll get everything out by hitting something that won't hurt an actual person. Might not be a bad idea."
Becca seemed to think about her answer before she said anything. "Let's do it. I need something."
*****
Hunter handed her a pair of boxing gloves and led her to a private room which he snagged for the next half hour at a gym. The sound of squeaking shoes against the floor in the room across from them stole her attention. Some members were playing basketball.
Dim lights barely lit up the room. A black punching bag hung from a bar in the middle. Hunter closed the door, secluding them in the small space. "It's even soundproof." He nodded at the wall nearest the door. "Which is good, because I feel like yelling. A lot. I say let's push out some of this anger, and then go do something that a happily engaged couple would do on a Friday night."
Still shaky, Becca tried to put the gloves on without dropping them. Hunter set his down and helped. "Works for me."
Hunter held up her gloved hands. "Hey. I love you. In a matter of months, I'll be watching you walk down the aisle and take my name. It doesn't get better than that. Our wedding plans have been overshadowed by this mess of our past, and I'm tired of it. We'll work through it all, but most importantly, we're going to have a beautiful life together. We both deserve that chance." He kissed her forehead gently, letting his lips linger there as he held her close. "I'd give you the moon and stars, if I could."
Becca leaned into his arms. "I love you, too. So much." She didn't need the moon and stars. She just needed Hunter in her world forever.
He pulled away and stared at her, love reflecting in his eyes. "Here's what we do. Whatever we're angry at, say it as we hit the bag. Yell as if it's the person, or just the situation. I don't care. Hit as hard as you can. I'll start, if you want." He put his own gloves on.
Becca took a few steps back, watching Hunter in silence. He did a series of stretches before he started. His expression masked into one of serious concentration. He pulled a gloved hand back, then let the bag have it. "I'm tired of all the lies and secrets!" he yelled, pulling back and hitting again. The bag tossed and turned at his every punch.
Becca's jaw dropped slightly. She knew Hunter was angry, felt it too, but to see just how much pent up energy he held in kinda scared her.
"I'm tired of not knowing the truth!" he went again, this time with even more fury. Sweat already poured down his red face, which he wiped away quickly before returning to a fighting stance. "Most of all, I'm tired of having to fight so hard for the life I want! I know it doesn't come easy, but we never seem to catch a break!" The bag flew backward, almost hitting the bar as Hunter let them fly. Then he stopped, breathed in and out deeply, and faced Becca. "I could almost do this for hours," he said softly. "It doesn't give us answers, but it lets it all out." Hunter gestured at the bag, swinging from the beam. It slowed to a stop after a few seconds. "Wanna give it a go?"
She so did. Becca moved to where Hunter had just been. She stared at the now unmoving bag. Hunter stood close behind her. He leaned in close. "Get it all out, angel. You need to let it go before it tears you down. I'm going to be right here. Whatever you're angry at, take it out on that bag. Don't hold back."
His words were comforting. Becca nodded in response. Hunter stepped back, and she inhaled a good, deep breath before letting loose.
"Here goes," she whispered, then raised her voice to a yell. "I'm angry that I've found the one for me, but we can't even enjoy our firsts together without all this drama, lies, and danger!" Thwack! Becca's fist connected with the bag, sending it flying. "I'm angry at my grandparents for never making me feel wanted and never telling me why! I'm angry that I grew up learning to hold in my true feelings, and it still affects me to this day!" She was on a roll. Energy sizzled in the air with each punch.
Faster and faster, Becca let it out. "I'm angry that I don't know who I am! I went for years thinking I was one person, until a hurtful woman changed it all! I'm angry that I replaced a dead child! I'm sure as hell angry that I will never get to see my family as what I knew them as- family! And I'm angry about feeling guilty for someone's death on my hands when he had every intent on hurting me!" Becca got so close that when the bag swung back toward her, it knocked her backwards. Tears streamed down her cheeks as her heartbeat sped up. Hunter caught her. He pulled off her gloves, then his, and swept her in his arms. "It hurts so damn much!" She sobbed against him. She couldn't breathe. Sweat and tears streamed down her face, stinging her eyes.
"I know, sweetheart, I know." Hunter's own voice was full of pain as he hugged her tight. One hand moved up to her hair as he combed his fingers through it gently. They clung to each other in the middle of that room, both letting out their anger and then tears as they held on tight. Her entire body ached from tension and the released anger. A small weight had been lifted off her shoulders, but she had a long way to go.
"Bec- what you said ... no wonder your art has been drastically different lately. I mean, I know what happened to you, or at least the version we were told, but I never really thought about it that way. Then again, it wasn't me it happened to." Hunter's voice was hoarse. His eyes were moist when he pulled back to look at her.
Becca wiped his eye with her thumb gently, longing to take his hurts away. "It's what I feel like. A replacement. I know it was supposedly to keep me safe from whatever deadly fate my brother got me out of, but I don't know anything other than I became Rebecca Lange, the baby who never had a chance. From the few
things I remember from Mom and Dad, they loved me. No denying that. They raised me like I was their own, but it doesn't erase an emptiness I feel for becoming someone's replacement."
His gaze landed on her, lips pressed in a thin line. "I wish I could fix that void for you. I wish I could take away all of your pain. It hurts like hell to hear you say what you did. All I ever wanted was the best for you. I know it's way beyond my control, but was always important to me." He caressed her cheek. "Wanna get out of here? I've never seen so much anger come from you. I think we had the right idea tonight. No holding back. We'll come back as often as we need to. Your muscles are still tense, though." Hunter rubbed her shoulders.
"I'm ready. I knew I was holding back, but didn't know it was this much." Becca moaned when he worked out a knot.
He stopped a short while later, backed away from her, and stooped to pick up the gloves. Becca followed him out of the room in silence. Hunter handed the gloves and towels back to the guy behind the desk, then took Becca's hand. Halfway toward the door, Hunter stopped. He craned his neck. Becca couldn't figure out why. Did he see something? Someone? "Jesse's here," he whispered.
Worry crept inside her gut. "Where?"
Hunter pointed. Jesse/Everett wasn't looking their way, but she could tell that was the guy from outside her apartment door. The hair on the back of her neck raised. "That's definitely him, Hunter. The same guy."
He froze in place. She needed to get him out of here before he did something crazy.
Becca tugged on his hand. "Don't. Don't do anything. Let's just get out of here. Jed's right. If this guy is tailing us, don't give him reason to react. Let's go before he sees us." When Hunter didn't move, Becca tried again. "Please."
Too late. Hunter didn't go after Jesse, but the man turned around, and his eyes went wide when he met their gaze. His eyes locked with hers for a second. She recognized that same intense look, those same grayish eyes. The connection faded quick. Then he glanced back at them again, a look of fear and worry mixed in his eyes. Jesse bolted right after, heading toward the locker rooms.
Becca and Hunter left the building fast. "I don't think we were meant to see him."
"That look in his eyes. He's guilty of something, Bec. He would have said something to us otherwise, not freak out and run," Hunter said breathlessly as they climbed in their vehicle and peeled out of the parking lot.
Chapter Sixteen
"I know you're angry, but to go and send cryptic messages to me? That's beneath you, Rebecca." Monday morning at work, Becca finished up with a project when Vince's cold, accusing voice pulled her from her own little world.
"Come again?" She whirled around. He stood like a warden at the doorway, deep crease lines formed across his forehead.
"My only question is, why send a message? Why not just ask me about it." Vince approached her tentatively. "How did you find out?"
"I'm not following. What are you talking about?"
"The whole reason I'm here today in the first place! My niece! I didn't know you knew. It was an accident, Rebecca. I didn't mean to make her lose control!" Vince's voice raised in a fearful panic.
"Vince! What damn texts, and what accident?" Her own tone matched his. He continued to be vague, and his level of agitation only added double to hers.
"You're serious. You don't know what I'm talking about." Vince paled. He took a step back, mouth slightly ajar. "Oh my. I have some explaining to do now." He steadied himself by grabbing a chair and folded his large frame to sit. "I never wanted you to know-"
"What. Are. You. Talking. About?" Becca said through clenched teeth. He never wanted her to know? First off, what was there to know? Second, if he had intentions of marrying her, why did he plan to keep so many secrets?
"You sure you want to talk about this here at work?" Vince glanced back at the door.
"Consider this my break." Becca shot up, headed to the door and closed it. Then she stormed back and sat in the chair across from Vince.
Vince blew out a deep breath. "Your aunt called me one day, angry. She said she found out about something I was involved with when you were sixteen, and she planned to look into it. My niece was with me that day. We drove over to your aunt's place, and I kind of forced my way into her car. Geri got in the backseat. We were on the road when your aunt and I argued. I-" He closed his eyes.
"You what?" Becca didn't like where this was going.
"I jerked the wheel in anger, causing us to veer in the other lane."
"You killed her." Becca's voice came out ice cold. He did not just tell her this, he didn't! Tentacles of anger wrapped around her heart. No. She had to be dreaming.
"I didn't kill her!" Vince protested. He widened his eyes at her.
Becca shot to her feet in a rage. "You may not have held a gun to her head, or executed her death in an actual harmful manner, but to take the wheel when she was in control! Yes you did, Vince! You're a killer! You killed the only person I had to trust in Vermont! And I know what situation you're talking about! It had to do with my old art teacher. You killed him too, but on purpose!" She lunged at him, fury consuming her. "You're a terrible person!" Her grandparents wanted her to marry him? Did they know about any of this?
"Rebecca, stop! The first time was to protect you! Stop!" Vince caught her hands as she struggled against him.
"Let me go! You didn't protect me! You protected your secret!" Pain exploded in her head as she lost it with this man. She'd had enough. Someome had to- this had to stop!
The door opened. Liane rushed in, along with a couple other people. "Becca!"
"He's a killer! Get him away!" She still struggled against Vince's hold. "Make him go! Make him go!"
"Let her go, Vince. You need to get out of this room." Liane's tone hardened, still confused.
He did as suggested. "We're going to discuss this later," Vince snapped at Becca before stomping out of the room.
Becca huddled against the wall before falling to the floor. She'd just tried to go after Vince at her own place of work. The urge to follow him and make him pay screamed loudly in every pore of her body. Instead, she stayed in place on the floor, unsure what to make of things any more. "I'm so-sorry. He ... he k-killed my aunt. He just told me- H-he..." Words died in her throat.
"Close the door. Someone go keep an eye on Vince, I'm going to calm Becca down," Liane barked at someone, then sat beside her. "Hey, you're okay. I need to know what happened, word for word, okay? Did he hurt you?"
*****
That afternoon, Hunter's cell rang. He wondered what happened when Liane Velez' personal cell showed up on his caller ID. She never called him while working, especially from her phone. "Liane? What's up?"
"You need to come here and get Becca. There was a major incident today ... She's not able to talk. I can't get much out of her right now."
"What? What caused it?" Hunter stopped in the middle of the hallway, fear taking over.
"Vince-"
"What did that ba ... man do?" he roared.
"Hunter, listen to me. Vince said something to Becca, and she went after him. According to him, he got a text which he thought was from Becca. Something about how his niece ended up in the accident. He won't give too many details, but he claims Becca attacked him."
"She wouldn't do that!" Hunter protested.
"Not without major reason, no. But she's very shaken up. I've got her in a room, lying down because she's so upset. She stares off as if she's not here. I don't know exactly what happened, but it's not good."
"I'm on my way." Hunter swore, wishing there wasn't thirty minutes between them. He hung up and went to find Todd, filling him in. He agreed, as Hunter figured he would, and he was on his way. He sped the whole way there. Luckily, no cops were around and he didn't get pulled over. Hunter parked and ran inside. Liane waited in the lobby and gestured when he came in. "Where is she?"
Liane led him to a room. The lights were off. "Go on in. I'm glad none of this was out in the open. There would have been so
much explaining to do. Let me know if you get anything out of her, okay? She's ... I don't know how to describe it."
"I've seen Becca in so many state of minds."
"She always responds best to you."
Hunter nodded, twisting the doorknob, afraid of what he'd encounter. "Bec? It's me. I'm here, and I'm coming in to talk to you." He approached with ease, leaving the lights off for the moment. Liane closed the door behind him. "I'm going to turn on the light so I can see you, okay?" He flicked on the lights.
Becca's eyes were haunted. She huddled on a bed, her knees drawn up and her arms crossed.
"What did he do, angel? I need you to tell me, okay? Liane was so worried that she called me on her cell to come see you." Hunter crossed the room and gently eased her knees down, then pulled her in his arms. It wouldn't help if she needed to use her hands to communicate, but right now he wanted her in his arms.
Becca pulled away moments later, her lips trembling. She raised her hands to sign. "Vince got a text. He accused me of sending it, so I forced him to admit something he was never going to tell me."
"What did it say?" Hunter asked. "Maybe he's playing us. He could have sent the text to himself."
Becca shook her head. "No, not with what it had to do with. He's just as much a victim as we are."
"What happened?"
Becca exhaled slowly before beginning. "He was the reason my aunt died in the car accident." Her cheeks reddened again and she narrowed her eyes. "She planned to check into something she found out about him. His niece was with him. They got in the car and in a moment of anger, he jerked the wheel, leading them to oncoming traffic."
A Forever Masterpiece (The Masterpiece Trilogy Book 3) Page 15