Aiden chimes in just in time to bring me back to the present, and the seriousness of the entire situation. “Now that you two went down memory lane, let’s finish what I came here for in the first place, shall we?” I want to rip that snarky grin right off his face. He thinks he’s winning. He wants control…to dominate…to be feared.
I scan the room, trying to find a way to break from Aiden. He watches me, seeing that I’m making a plan. He lets go of Alex after shoving him against the wall one final time and plunges toward me. I take a step back, bracing for the attack that I’m about to receive.
“Listen, Princess. You are mine. I made you mine!” The way the words princess and mine roll off his tongue makes me cringe.
“I was never yours, Aiden. You stole that from me!” I spit out, suddenly brave.
He grabs my hands and slams me toward the wall, bracing my hands in his. I squirm trying to get out of his grip, but he pushes his knee in between my legs to pin me down.
“You willingly gave it to me. Stop pretending.”
“You’re fucking sick! I didn’t give anything to you! I was eight years old!” With all the momentum I could obtain, I push him back, trying to get out of his firm hold. Forgetting how strong he is, his body barely moves. Rage fills his eyes as he head butts me, knocking my head back against the wall.
My eyes turn fuzzy as I see Alex behind Aiden. I quickly duck my head as Alex grabs Aiden from behind. I take the opportunity and run from the scene, grabbing my bag and shoes. Alex catches up to me and grabs my hand as we run out the apartment door.
“Come on, I’ll take you.”
I’m not sure where we’re going, but as long as it’s anywhere but here, I’ll go.
Alex leads me to his pick-up truck, and I help myself into the passenger seat. I’m not sure I fully trust Alex, but I’ll go anywhere as long as it’s far away from Aiden.
“Why are you doing this?” I ask as he pulls out of the parking lot.
“Velaney, I swear to you. I had no idea what Aiden was up to. He found out you work at the bar and when he connected the dots from Kenna to me, he used me to get close to you. He said you ran away from home and that he didn’t want to get too close to you because he was afraid you’d run.”
I cross my arms over my chest, concealing the hurt and betrayal. I nod, letting him know I hear him, but I’m not ready or willing to go down that road with Alex.
“I swear,” he pauses, grabbing my hand. “I really did like you, Velaney.”
“It doesn’t matter. You lied to me.” I don’t make eye contact, because it really doesn’t matter. He was only a pawn set in place for Aiden to get to me. Eric is all that matters to me anyway.
“I know. I’m sorry.” His face goes soft, sad even.
“Where are we going? Where’s Eric?”
“Aiden set up the fire out in the woods over the cliff. It was his plan to get you alone.” He pauses, bracing his hands on the steering wheel. “I think he plans on killing Eric,” he finally confesses.
My eyes widen at the realization of what Alex just told me. The whole frigging thing was a set up…from getting Alex to seduce me to getting Eric out of the apartment to get to me and to hurt him.
“Over the cliff?” He nods. “I know a short cut,” I announce, pointing to a road. He takes my directions and soon we are overcome with black ashy smoke. “Oh my God!” I lean forward, getting a better view of the whole mess.
“It wasn’t supposed to be like this, I swear.”
“Just stop it, Alex. Nothing you say will make this situation any better.”
I’m seriously considering taking martial arts after this whole thing is over. I’m going to make sure Aiden never bothers me again. I will do everything in my power to make sure of it.
I jump out of the truck as soon as Alex parks. I see a half dozen fire trucks with over a dozen firefighters fighting the huge blaze. The scene is unreal. I don’t know what Aiden did or what he has planned, but I know I have to find Eric.
I ran up the trail before I’m greeted by a patrol officer. “Miss, you cannot go through.”
“Please!” I beg. “My boyfriend is in danger!”
As I figure, he pushes me and tells me to back up. I run back down, finding a new path that leads me up to where the fire is.
“Eric!” I scream, knowing damn well he won’t hear me. I scan the area, trying to find the safest route. Alex catches up to me and leads me down to where most of the firefighters are working, pumping water into the flames.
“Tell me Aiden’s plan,” I demand, looking him straight in the eyes.
“I really don’t know…all he said was that Eric would die out here, and that’s why he started this whole thing. He convinced me Eric was the bad guy, the one who put him in jail.”
“And that seemed worth dying over to you?” I cross my arms, furious at the person I’m looking at.
“Look, Velaney, I’m sorry! Aiden is a scary person. He pretty much forced this whole thing on me. He said if I didn’t do as he said he’d find a way to hurt Kenna. I didn’t know what else to do.”
Sympathizing with him, I stay silent. Aiden has a way about him that just reads fear. He is dark, twisted, and can easily manipulate anyone. It doesn’t surprise me that he pushed Alex to do to his dirty work.
“Come on, let’s try over here. Aiden will probably be out here soon.” I let him grab my hand and lead me through a trail surrounded in trees. I use my free hand to pull my shirt up over my mouth as the smoke thickens, making my eyes water. We are so close I can practically feel the heat burning my skin.
Chapter Seventeen
I spot Eric through the brush and do my best to inch up toward him without being seen by anyone else. I lower my body down as I make my way over to him.
“Velaney?”
“Eric! Oh my god…” I bend over on my knees, catching my breath before I can continue. He notices my concern and whips his helmet off. Even in all the distress, he still looks stunning. Seeing him in action was probably the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.
Focus, Velaney.
“What are you doing here? Are you all right?” He pushes me back away from the flames and tears his gear and jacket off.
Oh, come on.
His chest is dripping with sweat, but it’s insanely hot. I should probably focus here. Focus, Lane.
“It’s Aiden!” I scream over the loud roaring echoes of water spraying and people yelling. I can tell he hears me by the way his eyes shoot open. “He stormed into my apartment! He’s after you!” I explain, hoping he senses the seriousness of the situation. I see him struggling with the news, and I begin to worry he’ll react before thinking.
“We have to get out of here.” He lowers his voice, and I can tell he’s in shock. He grabs his gear in one hand and grabs my hand in his other. He brings us down the trail and spots Alex. I can tell he’s confused, but he keeps walking anyway.
“Where are we going?” I ask, desperate to get him out of here.
“Some place I can keep you safe.”
I’m not sure what that means, but I’m not about to question it at a time like this. I want Eric safe—he’s the one I’m worried about.
I feel Alex walking behind us. I slow down, pulling Eric with me. I need to know everything Alex knows about Aiden. About his plan.
“Alex, what is Aiden’s plan?” I ask, looking over my shoulder. I see Eric scanning the area, curious as to what he’s thinking.
“I swear that's as much as I know. His plan was to direct Eric away from you, get you to himself, and then he said the fire would take care of Eric. I don’t know what he means by that, but he has to have something planned.”
Fudge nugget.
I mean, fuck.
“I’ll take you to guys to the truck. You should get out of here.” Alex walks ahead, leading us to where he parked.
We continue walking as Eric is clenching my hand. I know he must have a million questions, but I can’t explain all of them to hi
m right now. I just need to get him out of here.
“Oh my god,” Alex squeals, freezing in his tracks. I end up bumping into his back, as my feet don’t get the memo. I look around Alex to see why he is gasping.
Aiden.
He’s leaning against Alex’s truck, rather nonchalantly, as if he’s just waiting for us. A devilish smile appears on his face as he sees the three of us. Shit.
Eric pushes through us and darts right for Aiden, dropping his gear to the ground. I chase after him, but Eric is too determined to smash his face in.
“Eric, stop! Wait!” I plead, reaching up to him. “He’s not worth it,” I mumble, grabbing his arm. He stops right in front of Aiden, contemplating on what to do.
“She’s right. You may want to listen to your little girlfriend.” Aiden’s grin puts Eric in a rage as he goes to smash his fist in his face. Unfortunately, Aiden sees it coming and quickly moves his head. Eric ends up punching the window, smashing it into a tiny million pieces. Eric grabs his hand now covered in blood and shakes it off. Now he’s enraged.
“Eric! No!” I beg, not wanting him to get hurt anymore.
I feel Alex behind me, grabbing me by the shoulders. “You need to move.”
Eric swings again, this time making contact with Aiden’s gut. It doesn’t do much, but feed Aiden’s fury. I squirm as they begin to battle it out. I knew this would happen if Aiden were around Eric again. I couldn’t do anything. They were both double my size. I stood there, helpless and infuriated.
“Alex, do something!” I screech, begging him to interfere. However, Alex wasn’t a large guy and stood no chance at separating the two.
Before Alex can interfere, Eric and Aiden are pounding each other, rolling around on the dirt ground. I’m not sure who’s punching who anymore. I’m standing there, watching and having no clue what to do but yell.
“Aiden, stop it!” That does absolutely nothing to stop the fight—rather I think it fuels Aiden even more. I can’t just stand here and watch. I need to get help.
I run back to where I first saw the patrol officer and tell him one of the firefighters is in danger. He stares at me suspiciously before he takes what I say into consideration and finally follows me back. But they aren’t there.
They’re gone.
“Eric!” I scream, circling the area, looking for any signs of movement. What the fuck?
I hear commotion coming from behind us, and as I turn, I see two bodies falling over the cliff. Eric and Aiden’s bodies separate as they roll down the cliff, knocking their bodies into huge rocks and boulders along the way.
I feel helpless.
Eric and Aiden both land on flat ground, lifeless. I run over to Eric, examining his injuries I’m sure he has. His body is smashed up against a large rock stuck in the ground. His hands are covered in blood and tiny stones. His head is scraped with gashes and there’s blood practically covering his entire face.
I glance over and see Aiden looking pretty much the same; however, I don’t give a damn about him. I hear the patrol officer calling over his radio for paramedics and flight for life. Eric isn’t responding to my voice, so I squeeze his hand. Nothing.
The patrol officer leans down and notices what I’ve already seen. I can tell he doesn’t know what to do either. Alex hoovers over me, trying to keep me calm, but there’s no calm left in me.
“Eric! God, please, wake up!” I lay my hands on his cheeks, rubbing the blood away. I press my head to his chest, begging for a heartbeat.
“Alex, help! Please! He’s not waking up!” I can’t believe I have to ask him of all people for help, but right now, I’m desperate.
“He’s bleeding out. We need something to stop it.” We begin to look around, but we’re out in the middle of a damn cliff.
“Take your shirt off,” I order, directing my hand in front of him.
“Um, I don’t think now is the time for that.”
“For a tourniquet you dumbass!” I punch him in the shoulder for even insinuating that at a time like this.
He rips his shirt off and tears it in two. I take one and he takes one as we each press down on his abdomen. His stomach is scraped with gashes and dents. It looks awful.
“Eric, babe! Can you hear me? God, please!” I shout through tears that have now turned into sobs. The realization that Eric is hardly breathing has me panicking, but I try to do everything in my power to keep it together.
Pressing down on him seems to be working. The blood starts to clot and his chest begins to rise. I kneel closer to his face, keeping just inches away.
“Baby, please. If you can hear me, please stay with me,” I beg, coaxing his face with my other hand. “I love you,” I finally whisper, meaning it more now that ever before. I haven’t told Eric until now, although I was sure he knew. I don’t know why I didn’t just tell him. And now he may never be able to hear me say it.
The sound of a chopper jerks my head up to the sky. Finally! I see it spinning in circles, finding a flat place to land. I back up as paramedics arrive on the scene as well. They don’t take long to assess him before getting his body on the gurney. Once Eric is fastened in, I rush to his side and clench his hand.
“I love you,” I whisper again into his ear. I regret not telling him over and over before. Just when I find someone able to tear down my walls, break through my fears, and make me feel worthy and complete, I may lose him.
“Ma’am?” I hear one of the paramedics behind me. I turn and face him. “There was a report of two people.”
“Yes. He’s right over there,” I respond, pointing around him. However, the moment he moves to look, I see around him and notice Aiden is nowhere in sight. He’s gone.
“I’m sorry. Where ma’am?” he asks, clearly as confused as I am.
What the hell.
“I swear he was right over here.” I go to where his body was before. All that remains are some blood spots. But he’s gone. Aiden is gone.
“He, um, must’ve walked away or something,” I stumble, not sure of how the hell he could have. If his injuries were anything like Eric’s, how in the world could he even walk?
The paramedic looks at me as if I’ve completely lost it and walks back to his partner. Eric is loaded into the chopper and within seconds, the chopper takes off. I squint up at the sky as it sounds off through the air, leaving me distraught and in tears.
“Where the hell did he go?” I ask Alex, who looks as frightened as I feel. I don’t have time to try and find him. I need to get to Eric as soon as possible.
Alex agrees to take me to the hospital, but the entire drive there is awful. It was as if Alex couldn’t get there fast enough. I want him to gun it, speed, and race through traffic…whatever it takes to get to Eric’s side. And quickly.
Within a matter of minutes, it was as if my heart had been pulled out of my chest. Watching Eric fight for me…no one has ever done before. No one has ever cared enough, except perhaps Carissa, which is why I love her so much. However, she wouldn’t always be here. I mean, she will always be my friend, but some day she’ll move on and have a family of her own. Maybe not anytime soon, but she will.
We finally make it to the hospital and Alex drops me off at the ER entryway. I don’t even think to thank him, but at this point, I really don’t think he deserves one anyway.
“Hi, can you, um help me. I’m looking for someone who just came in on the flight for life chopper.” A young woman chewing gum so damn loud I can barely hear my own thoughts. She just stares at me as if I was speaking Japanese.
“All guests must sign in,” she slowly explains, taking no regard to my panic tone. She pushes a clipboard in my face with a sheet and pen attached.
Are you flipping kidding me?
“I just need to know where to find him. Please!” I beg, shouting louder this time.
She just stares at me and continues chewing. And chewing. Ugh. Fine.
I grab the damn clipboard from her hand and scribble some resemblance of my name. “Oka
y, here. Now can you tell me where he is?”
She slowly takes the sheet and without eye contact says, “He’s in trauma room twelve. You must stop at the nurse’s station before you can enter.” She nods her head at the double wood doors and presses a button to open them. Thank frigging God.
I race in, desperately searching for the nurse’s station. When I finally find it, no one is there. Come on! This cannot be happening.
“Hello?” I yell out to anyone that’s willing to respond. “Can someone help me please?”
A loud beeping noise distracts me from my search, and instead of waiting on a nurse, I decide to follow the noise.
A light on the ceiling flickers in response to the beeping that’s coming from room twelve. Monitors and machines are all going off as I see what looks to be a dozen doctors and nurses surrounding him.
I can’t see much around the bodies hovering over Eric, but I hear lots of yelling, screaming, and worst of all, panic. And then the worst sound of all…flat line.
“Code Blue! Code Blue!”
“Make room! Crash cart!”
“Clear!”
The yelling repeats three more times before all the sound and movement halt. Move!
“Call it.”
“Time of death: 19:36.”
“NOOOOOO!!!!” I scream, unaware of where all the air came from. I start to rush in but a nurse holds me back. “Let me in! No!”
“Ma’am, you need to back up, I’m sorry,” she replies calmly.
“Noooo, don’t give up! Please! Don’t give up on him!” I begin to hyperventilate, unable to grasp what is happening. “Please!” I desperately beg.
No, God, please! No!
I crash to my knees, still wrapped in the nurses’ arms. She lowers her body with mine, stroking my hair between her fingers. My eyes cloud up with tears. I can’t catch my breath…
Ten minutes later, the nurse lets go of me and helps me rise to my feet. The tears haven’t subsided, but I know I need to get up.
Exposed: An Anthology Page 92