Ruined: A Contemporary Bad Boy Romance

by Lisa Lace

  “And at least we know what we’re looking out for. A red Chevrolet Colorado truck.”

  Jenna fell silent for a while as I drove back to mine. She was quiet and contemplative, with her arms folded over her chest and her gaze distant. She looked better, but she still wasn’t quite herself.

  When she spoke next, it was with stony determination. “I’m going to call Mrs. Gatsby and tell her I’m coming back to work.”

  I frowned and cast Jenna a sideways glance. She had her jaw set and her eyes forward on the road. She looked about as determined as anyone I’d ever seen. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

  “It’s been a week. I left Victor eighteen months ago. Eighteen months, Nate. I should know that Victor’s not going to give up and go away, so I’ve got to make a choice: stay in hiding forever, or get back out there, knowing that he’s out there too.”

  “I think you should lie low a while longer.”

  The thought of Jenna returning to work filled me with unease. Victor was still out there, and he was probably watching all the places he knew that Jenna frequented. He probably had eyes on the apartment, eyes on my house, and definitely eyes on where Jenna worked. If she went back there, it was too easy for him to follow her.

  “If I stay hidden, he wins. That’s what he wants—for my whole life to stop.”

  “I know what you’re saying, Jenna, but it’s too much of a risk.”

  “Mrs. Gatsby is a lovely woman, but she won’t hold my job open forever. I’ve already lost my peace of mind and my apartment. I refuse to lose my job, too.”

  I admired Jenna’s grit, but I feared for her. For Kacey, too. Yet I knew that Jenna had a point. We had no idea how long Victor would continue to stalk her, or just how long it might be before he got caught by the authorities. Jenna’s life could just slip away while she was waiting for Victor to appear.

  “What if he starts following you again?”

  “At least now I know what vehicle to look out for. If I spot a red truck following me, I’ll drive straight to the police station.”

  It wasn’t enough. I didn’t want Jenna to be on her own. Then again, Kacey had already had to go back to work herself. She couldn’t stay away from her job forever, either. That meant Jenna was alone in Kacey’s townhouse during the days.

  Maybe she was safer at the school with other people around.

  “I want you to call Detective Billings before you make any decisions. See what he thinks about it.”

  “I can’t hide forever, Nate. The reason I didn’t run this time is because I finally have a life that makes me happy. If I’m not living that life, then I should have run away and spared everyone the fire.”

  “Jenna…”

  “Please, Nate. I need to start moving again, or I’ll go crazy. Every little sound is making me jump a mile. I can’t sleep. I’m hiding every time someone knocks at the door or passes by the window. I need some normalcy back in my life, or I’m going to lose my mind.”

  “What does Kacey think?”

  “I spoke to her about it last night. She agrees that I should get back out there. She said if I’m ready, then I should go for it.”

  I could imagine my sister saying that. Kacey wasn’t one for sitting around feeling sorry for herself, and she wasn’t one to back down. She was a survivor, and she encouraged others to fight back too.

  “It’s up to you, Jenna, but you have to be careful. Call Detective Billings and see if he can get some officers to escort you to work. See if some cameras can get set up or something. I just don’t want him to get you on your own.”

  “He’s not just going to go away. One day, I’m going to come face to face with him again, Nate.”

  “Maybe you will, but it’ll be in a court room, where it should be.”

  Jenna didn’t say another word but turned to the window again.

  She was adamant about returning to work, and I couldn’t blame her. If I were in her position, I’d do the same thing. Having a purpose gets you through hard times, and without her work, Jenna didn’t know what her purpose was. She was growing listless and going mad inside four walls. She wanted to enjoy her life. I couldn’t blame her for that.

  Jenna

  I’d returned to work. The police hadn’t offered me a work escort, but they’d arranged for officers to drive by the preschool as well. I worried about driving to and from work without the police behind me, but I supposed that they couldn’t permanently have me followed by officers, and I wasn’t about to go into witness protection.

  I drove alone, but with caution. I checked my mirror every few seconds to look out for a red Chevy following me. I scanned every side street I passed as I was driving to search for trucks like the one on the traffic camera footage. Every time I pulled up at the preschool, I checked all the parked vehicles to make sure the red truck wasn’t there.

  So far, nothing. No sign of Victor or his red truck.

  The police were searching for his vehicle too, so it was getting harder for him to hide. I could only hope that the police would find Victor before he found me again. Who knew, though? Maybe Victor had already picked up my trail again and was just biding his time.

  It had been ten days since the fire. I didn’t really think I’d managed to convince Nate that returning to work was the right thing for me to do, but he accepted that my mind was made up.

  Kacey supported me. She’d once been like me; bound to a man who only wanted to hurt her, seeing her life pass her by as she lived in fear of one man. She knew how precious our freedom was, and how hard you had to fight for it.

  My first day back at work had helped me to finally start to feel better. The laughter and antics of the kids had put a smile back on my face, and I’d felt like I was at last able to do something more than just sit around and wait for the worst to happen.

  I was reassured by the police car that I saw on the street outside, checking in on me and the others in the preschool every now and then. I kept my cell on me all the time, ready to call the police if I had to, and all the preschool staff had been briefed on the situation and knew that security needed to be tight.

  The other teachers and assistants were regularly stepping outside and taking a walk around the block to check for a red truck. They were rallying around me and doing everything they could to keep us safe.

  At the end of the day, I felt the good kind of exhausted. I’d worked hard and thrown myself into looking after the children. It was a relief from the constant worrying I’d been doing since the fire, and even before when I’d received the first note from Victor. Some kind of routine and normality was just what I needed to get back on my feet.

  I was looking forward to getting back to Kacey’s and telling her all about my day. I knew how pleased she’d be to hear that it had gone well. I knew she’d be working late tonight at an open house, so my plan was to make dinner for when she got in. It was the least I could do.

  I was feeling more positive than I had in weeks and even started humming as I drove towards the townhouse.

  The notes died in my throat when I pulled up outside Kacey’s place to see a red Chevrolet Colorado truck parked on her street. I instinctively ducked down behind my wheel and felt my heart stop. I could hear the blood pounding in my ears, and even though I couldn’t see Victor, I was holding my breath, as if he was right behind me.

  I quickly pulled out my cell and dialed 911. This is it, Jenna. You’ve got him. Just stay low, and let the police pick him up. It’s almost over.

  Adrenaline made the blood rush faster through my body; so fast that I felt light-headed. I could hardly catch my breath.

  I stayed low down in the driver’s seat, daring only to sporadically shoot a glance out the window towards the truck, watching out for Victor.

  My cell connected with the 911 operator.

  “911. What is your emergency?”

  “I need the police. There is a wanted suspect outside my friend’s home.”

  “Where are you calling from?”r />
  “622 Evergreen Road.”

  The operator began to ask me questions, and I answered them in quick succession, my voice barely a whisper. All the while, I kept my eye on the truck. I didn’t know what I would do if Victor appeared. And what would I do if he drove away? This was the closest I’d gotten to getting Victor caught, and I couldn’t let the opportunity to slip away.

  Each minute seemed to span hours, as I prayed for the police to arrive before Victor left. What is he even doing here? I couldn’t see Victor in the cab of the truck. Where was he?

  I kept on speaking to the operator. She was trying to determine details of the “disturbance” as she called it. I just wanted her to send help.

  “He’s dangerous. You need to send someone. Now.”

  As I said the words, Victor finally appeared from the side of the house. It looked like he’d come from Kacey’s backyard. As I watched, I saw him go to the back of his truck and pull out a can of gasoline.

  My voice became urgent. “He’s just pulled out some gasoline. You need to hurry! He’s going to set the house on fire. He’s wanted for arson. You need to get here!”

  “Ma’am, someone is on their way.”

  I stayed hidden in my car, watching from a distance as Victor returned towards Kacey’s backyard. My head raced with thoughts about what I should do. Instinct told me to get as far away from Victor as possible. Loyalty told me there was no way I could let him destroy Kacey’s home.

  When I’d lost everything, Kacey had been there for me. I couldn’t let Victor do this to her. I couldn’t let Victor do this to Nate—he’d not wanted me to go back to work, and the first day I did, Victor showed up. Nate had accepted my decision. Would he ever forgive me if that decision cost his sister her home?

  I stepped out the car. Everything seemed to go in slow motion as I crossed the street and headed down the side of Kacey’s house along the path that led to the back gate. As I got closer, I could hear the sound of gasoline splashing on the ground and chugging in the can as it was thrown against the porch.

  Heart thumping, I pressed myself against the edge of the house and peered around into the backyard.

  My heart stopped when I saw Victor. He was turned away from me, facing the porch that he was dousing with gasoline.

  There he was. The man who had taken so much from me. The man who had systematically ripped my self-esteem to shreds, tore my dreams out my hands, and chased me out of my home time and time again.

  When I saw him, so many emotions came flooding back: fear, regret, dread, and to my shame, even a little of whatever it was that had kept me with him so long in the first place. Not love, but some kind of twisted devotion that he’d drilled into me.

  There was the man who’d threatened my family and terrorized me. There was the man who I feared enough to flee across state lines. There was the man who had ruled my life for the last five and a half years.

  Enough was enough. It ended today.

  “Victor.” My voice came out stronger than I had expected it to. It must have surprised Victor, too. When he turned to me, his eyes were wide.

  “Put the gasoline down.”

  Victor emptied the last of the gasoline on the porch with a determined shake and then threw the empty can onto the grass. “So, you’ve come out of hiding at last.”

  The way he said the words made my blood run cold. He said them like he’d been waiting for this moment all along. He said them with smug, sadistic satisfaction like he was pleased with himself; like he’d been planning for this moment all along.

  Here it was. The moment that I knew was coming; the inevitable confrontation. The cell was still clasped in my hand, the call still ongoing. “You need to stop this. It’s me you want. Not Kacey. This is her home, not mine.”

  “You’re not an easy woman to find these days, Jenna. A man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do.”

  “You don’t have to do this.”

  “You just left. Packed your things and left.”

  “I knew you would never let me leave any other way.”

  “You bitch.” He spat the words. The viciousness in just the two syllables shook me to my core. There was so much hatred in them. “You don’t walk out on me.”

  “So, this is revenge?”

  “You made a fool out of me.”

  I scowled and curled my shaking hands into fists. He had things to say to me? I had a few things to say to him, too…

  “All of this because I hurt your ego? You’re pathetic.”

  The back of his hand caught me across the cheek before I’d even registered his arm lifting. The blow knocked me to the ground, and I cried out. I quickly turned onto my back and tried to scurry away from him. Every inch I edged backward, he made up with a single stride.

  “You set my apartment on fire because you were angry I left you?”

  “I had to smoke you out, you little whore. You got lucky that your lover was out that night.” Victor smirked.

  “You’re sick.”

  He towered over me, his finger pointed threateningly at my face. His dark curls were untamed, his jaw unshaved, his eyes wild. He looked every bit a monster. The handsome face that had once drawn me in was contorted into a vicious snarl.

  “I had to go digging around into your sister’s purse to find your little letters.” He took another step closer. “I had to drive all the way to Indiana to track you down.” Another step. “I had to sit and watch a post office for days, just to find out where you were hiding.”

  I was shaking. My voice came out in a tremor. “Why?”

  “Because you’re mine.”

  I tensed every muscle in my body to stop myself shaking. I curled my hands into fists and caught Victor’s eye; steady and hard as steel. I spoke my words slowly and with spite. “I am not yours. You’re the biggest mistake I ever made. I hate you.”

  Victor was now standing with one leg either side of my body, and I cried out as his fist closed around my shirt and lifted me like a ragdoll before him. I lifted my arms over my head and squeezed my eyes tight shut, thinking he’d hit me again.

  Instead, he threw me back down onto the ground and turned back towards Kacey’s house. I saw him pull a book of matches from his pocket.

  “No!”

  Even now, when he had me where he wanted me, and could kill me with punches if he wanted, he knew what would really hurt me. He knew that I cared about people and that my priority was to protect them. That’s why he’d threatened my parents and sister so many times in the past. That’s why he’d bought me a cat — just so he could kick it when I disobeyed, knowing that I would do whatever he said to stop him. He’d always used my nature against me, even now, when I was right there.

  I leaped onto his back to stop him striking the match and began punching him as hard as I could in the chest. He threw me off like I weighed nothing, and I hit the ground hard. I scrambled immediately back onto my feet and threw myself onto him again.

  He let out a wild roar of rage.

  Victor threw me off him again, but this time spun to tackle me. He pinned me down on the ground, and lifted his fist…

  I closed my eyes, waiting for the pain to come, but it didn’t.

  The police were here. I began to weep with relief as I watched the officers pull him off me. I glanced across at my cell, which was lying on the grass a few meters away. I’d dropped it when Victor had first struck me, but the call had been running the whole time.

  Evidence. Everything was being recorded. You’ve got him, Jenna. It’s over.

  Nate

  My eyes roamed over all the guests at my table; Kacey, Carla, and Sam were all there. And, of course, Jenna.

  After a fire, you debrief.

  A debrief was a chance to talk about what had happened, and figure out what happened next. It was a chance to check that everybody was doing all right. I guess that was why I’d arranged this night. I just wanted to check that everybody was still in one piece and that everybody would be all right.
/>   We’d enjoyed a stress-free evening where we’d hardly spoken about Victor and the fire. Instead, we’d all appreciated the chance to look to the future instead. We’d eaten dinner; we’d drunk wine. Now, we were all pleasantly light-headed, and talking about what life held for each of us now.

  “So, Carla,” Jenna asked with a smile, “has it been confirmed?”

  Carla tilted her head in confusion. “What?”

  Jenna gestured to her and Sam, who were sitting practically on each other’s laps, arms about each other. “Will the move be permanent?”

  Carla giggled and twisted to look at Sam, her arms about his neck. “What do we think, babe? Can you handle me long-term?”

  “You’re not going anywhere.”

  They kissed for long enough to make Kacey tell them to get a room, but we all laughed. Everybody was in high spirits. The last few weeks had been intense for us all, but there was finally light at the end of the tunnel.

  “What about you, Jenna?” Carla asked. “Are you going to stay with Kacey?”

  Jenna looked over at me uncertainly, and then smiled and shook her head. “I think I’m going to find my own place again.”

  “Nothing’s been decided yet,” I said.

  She looked back at me, and her smile grew. Her eyes were soft and full of affection, and her hand closed around mine. She was sitting on the chair beside me. I wrapped my arms around her shoulders and pulled her close.

  “What we do know,” I continued, “is that Jenna has been accepted at college. She’s going to finish her degree.”

  Carla gasped with delight and clapped her hands. The others all quickly congratulated her, too.

  Jenna smiled and laughed. “Thanks, everyone.” She gave a little, modest shrug. “After everything that’s happened, I’m more determined than ever to make a life that’s good.”

  As Jenna said the words, I looked at her and realized that life was good. With Victor out the way, nothing was standing between us. It had been a tough few weeks, but I didn’t regret sticking by Jenna for a moment. The whole situation had proven to me how incredible she was—so tough. Resilient. A survivor.