Infidelity: Sacrifice (Kindle Worlds Novella)

by Rae Riley

  He returned the smile. “My job is to keep you safe.”

  Right. His job. He’s only here because of Alex and Nox.

  “Deloris ordered dinner for everyone. It should be here soon.”

  “I’m not hungry,” I said quickly, embarrassed by my feelings. “I’m tired. I’m just going to go to bed.”

  “Chelsea, you’ve barely eaten anything since leaving Montague Manor.”

  “Yes, I’m aware of how much I have and have not eaten,” I sassed, blood rushing to my cheeks. “I’m a big girl and will eat when I’m hungry.”

  His jaw tensed as if he wanted to say something but wasn’t sure if he should.

  Rolling my eyes, I walked to my bedroom and slammed the door. Tears resurfaced in my eyes as I paced the small room. My emotions were all over the place. I was sad then happy. I felt attracted to Isaac and then pissed off when he unknowingly rejected me. His reminders to eat further angered me. I felt like a toddler throwing a tantrum, but was too exhausted to care.

  After changing into my pajamas, I crawled into bed. Hours later, with all of the lights still on, I finally fell asleep.

  An unfamiliar scream jolted me awake. Taking in my surroundings, I realized that I was back in hell. I was back inside Carmichael Hall. Another scream echoed through the hallway outside my door. The screams were coming from a female.

  “Mrs. Spencer?” I called, my voice timid as I crawled out of bed and walked toward the door. “Are you okay?”

  No one answered. Hesitantly, I cracked open the door and peeked into the hallway. The screams were louder now. Looking in the direction of Suzanna’s room, I saw that her door was closed. However, the door directly across from mine was slightly ajar. Tiptoeing across the hallway, I cautiously peered into the room. Another scream pierced my ears, except this time it was my own.

  Melissa Summers was lying on the floor, her body huddled in the fetal position as she tried to shield herself from Bryce’s blows. Bryce’s sickening smile turned my stomach as his foot landed on Melissa’s side. Melissa was coughing so much that I feared she couldn’t breathe.

  “Stop,” I begged, rushing into the room. It was like I wasn’t there. Neither of them acknowledged me. I covered my mouth to muffle another scream when Bryce’s shoe connected with Melissa’s face. I tried to step between them, to protect Melissa, but my feet couldn’t move. It was like they were stuck to the floor. All I could do was watch as he beat her. “Please, Bryce! Stop!”

  “B-Bryce,” Melissa sputtered. “P-please, I’m s-sorry.”

  Bryce fell to his knees, straddling Melissa. I screamed as his fist met her face. Over and over he hit her, even when she stopped moving. Finally, he stood. The sickening smile returned to his face as he looked down at Melissa’s body.

  Suddenly, my feet were released from whatever was holding them. I stumbled forward, landing on the floor next to Melissa. Blood had pooled around her body, sticking to my clothes and hands. She wasn’t moving, wasn’t breathing.

  “Melissa,” I called, shaking her body. “Melissa, wake up!”

  “You should have listened to me,” Bryce mocked.

  “You hurt her because of me?” I stared up at him, tears covered my cheeks.

  “I killed her because of you,” he clarified.

  “No.” I turned my attention back to Melissa. I put my hands on her chest, starting CPR. “No, she’s not dead!”

  “She’s dead, Chelsea. Dead… because you thought that running errands for Jane were more important than taking care of me. This is your fault.”

  “No,” I whispered.

  He grabbed my hair, pulling me off of Melissa.

  “Stop,” I screamed, my fingernails digging into his skin. “Sto–”

  “Chelsea,” Isaac called, his hands around my wrists as he knelt next to my bed. “Chelsea, wake up.”

  “Stop,” I continued, fighting his grip. “Let me go!”

  “Chelsea, it’s okay. It’s okay, calm down.”

  My pleas turned to sobs as I gasped for air. “H-he k-killed h-her.”

  “It was just a dream,” he assured me.

  “No,” I argued. “He k-killed her because of me, because I wouldn’t go back to Carmichael Hall that day. It’s m-my fault she’s dead! It’s my fault.”

  “It’s not your fault.” Isaac released my wrists, sending me into a panic.

  “Don’t leave,” I frantically begged, grabbing his shirt.

  “I’m not going anywhere.” Climbing into bed next to me, he lay on top of the covers and pulled me against his chest. “Is this okay?”

  I nodded, resting my head on his shoulder. Tears leaked onto his shirt. His arm wrapped around me, pulling me closer. We lay in silence for several minutes.

  “I promise you, Edward Bryce Spencer will never hurt you again.”

  “He hurts me in my dreams,” I admitted softly.

  “When you dream of him, dream of me kicking his ass.”

  “You want me to dream of you?” I smiled. I hadn’t meant to say it – it just popped out. I blamed the exhaustion. My heart sank when I realized that I had crossed the invisible line, the line of what was appropriate to say to my bodyguard. I hadn’t meant it flirtatiously, but somehow it came across that way.

  At first he didn’t respond. “I want you to dream of happy things,” he finally answered.

  “I think I’m okay now.” I sighed, sitting up. “I’m going to go take a shower.” Shit! Why did I say shower? Now he’s going to think of me naked. It was then that I noticed Isaac’s arms. They were covered in scratches. “Did I do that?”

  “You were dreaming.” He looked down at his phone as it chimed with an incoming message.

  I crawled off the bed and started to gather a clean outfit.

  “Clayton will be here when you get out of your shower.”

  “What?” I panicked, spinning toward him. “You’re leaving?”

  “Mr. Demetri just sent me a text,” he explained, getting off the bed. “We're going to a meeting at Hamilton and Porter. You can come with if you would feel safer, but I thought that after what happened yesterday…”

  “I would never feel safe there,” I finished. “You’re right. It’s better if I stay here. But why can’t Clayton go with Alex and Nox while you stay here?”

  He laughed. “What’s wrong with Clayton?”

  “Nothing. I’m going to take my shower. Please don’t leave until Clayton is here.”

  “I won’t,” he promised.

  Chapter Nineteen

  “What are you?” I teased. “Twelve?”

  “Come on,” Isaac urged, “throw it.”

  “You’re not gonna catch it,” I insisted.

  “I’ll catch it.”

  “You’re gonna choke.”

  “Throw it,” he groaned.

  Sighing, I threw the piece of popcorn toward his face. However, instead of landing in his open mouth, it flew too high. He whipped his head back to catch it. Isaac’s chair tilted with the sudden force, sending him flying to the floor. It had been a long time since I laughed, truly laughed. The sensation felt foreign in my throat. It started out small, but very quickly I was laughing so hard that tears were leaking from my eyes. It was hard to breathe.

  “I’m glad my pain amuses you.” He chuckled, rubbing the back of his head.

  “Are… you… okay?” I gasped through my laughter.

  “Yeah, I just bumped my head. I think I’ll survive.” He picked himself up off the floor.

  “Do you need me to kiss your boo-boo?” I joked, tears running down my cheeks.

  He smiled down at me with a surprised look on his face. “You should laugh more often,” he said. His phone beeped with an incoming message as I wiped the wetness from my face. The smile disappeared from his lips. “I’ll be right back.”

  “Everything okay?”

  “No need to worry,” he promised, flashing another smile. “I’ll just be gone a few minutes.”

  I took a deep breath as
he left the hotel suite. It was the first time I had been left alone since our return to Savannah. It’s only for a few minutes… Just a few minutes. What could go wrong?

  My new cell phone – the one that Deloris had purchased for me – rang, causing me to jump. Laughing at my own reaction, I picked up the phone. “Hello?”

  “Are you okay?” Alex asked, her voice filled with concern.

  “Yeah, why?” Panic overwhelmed me as my imagination ran wild. “Is something wrong?”

  “Chels, we’re on our way,” Alex assured. “Where’s Isaac?”

  “Alex, you’re scaring me. Isaac was here. He read something on his phone and stepped out of the room for a minute. He said he’d be back.”

  “Okay. Don’t open the door for anyone but us.”

  “What do you know?” I asked, running to the door. I turned the deadbolt and secured the chain.

  “We’re at least fifteen minutes away,” she said.

  I heard Deloris’s voice in the background but couldn’t make out what she was saying.

  “Isaac called,” Alex started. “He’s probably not wanting to scare you, but Bryce is at the hotel.”

  “He’s here and Isaac left?” I started to panic.

  “No,” she corrected. “Isaac didn’t leave. He’s checking it out. He’s taking care of it. That’s what he does.”

  “Do you think Bryce knows I’m alone? Do you think he knows you aren’t here?”

  “I don’t know what he knows,” she admitted. “Deloris is calling the police. Chels, Bryce was released on bail. There’s a restraining order. If he comes within one hundred yards of you, he’s in violation of that order and risks revocation of his bail.”

  “They’ll put him back in jail?” I asked, hope shining through the darkness.

  “Yes, theoretically,” she confirmed. “It would be grounds to revoke his bail.”

  “And he won’t be able to get back out?” A plan was forming in my head.

  “I suppose,” she answered. “I don’t know for sure.”

  “He’s not that dumb,” I pointed out. “Is he?”

  “Let him,” Nox’s barely audible voice said in the background. “Let him. Keep her safe, but let the asshole hang himself.”

  “No,” Alex pleaded.

  “It’ll be all right,” Nox assured. “Isaac won’t let anything happen to her. If Isaac keeps Spencer away, when the police arrive they’ll just talk to him and he’ll still be free. If he’s at the room, his ass will be back in jail.”

  Alex argued with him, but his plan made sense. I wanted Bryce back in jail. I didn’t want him near my room, however. Leaving my phone on the table, I made the decision to go down to the coffee shop. If Bryce was going to be near me, I wanted witnesses. He wouldn’t do anything violent with people watching. Appearances were too important to him.

  Sitting down at the table nearest to the door, I didn’t bother to look around the room. I stared out the window, waiting for the squad cars to arrive.

  I felt his presence in the room before I saw him. My body immediately tensed. “What are you doing here?” I asked as Bryce appeared in front of me.

  “I think the better question is, what are you doing here?” he retorted. “Why did you leave?”

  “You know why I left.”

  “No,” he yelled, causing several other patrons to look in our direction. Bryce lowered his voice. “I don’t know. You are mine. For at least ten more months, you belong to me.”

  “Bryce,” I said, trying to keep my voice calm and low. “Our contract has been voided.”

  “That’s ridiculous,” he argued, slapping his palms on the table.

  My eyes flicked behind Bryce. Isaac had just entered the coffee shop. Before I could react, Bryce moved behind me. Putting his forearm around my neck, he quickly pulled me up out of my chair and held me in front of him. I screamed out of surprise and fear. We suddenly had the attention of everyone in the shop.

  “Nobody move,” Bryce's voice boomed around the coffee shop. He placed his free hand on something on his side under his coat. “I have a gun!”

  My blood turned to ice. Something was wrong. This wasn’t the Bryce I knew. The Bryce I knew would never make a scene like this in public.

  “Calm down.” Isaac was facing Bryce, his hands raised. “You don’t need to do this.”

  “Shut up,” Bryce ordered. “I want everybody over there.” He motioned toward a corner of the coffee shop.

  Tears blurred my vision, but I saw the other patrons move to follow Bryce’s demands. There were six other people, not including Isaac. One man, two women, and three children. Isaac didn’t move.

  “You too,” Bryce snapped. “Now, or I’ll kill the whore!”

  “Please, Bryce,” I pleaded, working to keep the fear from my voice as Isaac moved between Bryce and the hostages. “There are children in here. I’ll do whatever you want, but you need to let them go.”

  “I want you to do what you’re supposed to do,” he growled, tightening his arm around my neck. “You were supposed to testify for me. You need to testify for me.”

  Ignoring his comments, I continued trying to convince him. “You’re scaring them.”

  “You know what scares me, Chelsea?” he questioned. “Prison. They’re sending me to prison because you won’t testify!”

  “No, Bryce,” I argued. “They’re sending you to prison because you killed Melissa.”

  The sound of sirens filled the air as multiple squad cars arrived, pulling into the parking lot outside the window. The children started to cry, their mother frantically trying to calm them.

  “Fuck-fuck-fuck,” Bryce yelled. He pulled me backward with him as he quickly moved away from the window. “What did you do?”

  “I didn’t do anything.”

  “Sir,” the male hostage started, stepping forward.

  “Get back,” Bryce ordered.

  The man raised his hands, but didn’t move back. “May I pray with you?”

  “Pray?” Bryce scoffed.

  “Yes. I don’t believe that you came here intending to hurt anyone. The situation just got out of control. I find that when life gets out of control, the best thing to do is pray.”

  “What are you? A priest?” Bryce asked.

  “I am a man of God.”

  Bryce paused briefly before asking, “Do you have the power to marry people?”

  “Y-yes,” the man stuttered, glancing between Bryce and me. “But…”

  Bryce pulled out his phone and connected a call. “This is Bryce Spencer,” he barked. “I have hostages. Connect me with the officers outside. Now.”

  Making eye contact with Isaac, I mouthed my apology. I’m sorry.

  “This is Bryce Spencer,” Bryce repeated. “I want Alexandria Collins. If she comes in here, I’ll let the women and children go.”

  “No,” I cried.

  “Shut up.” Bryce glanced at me before turning his attention back to his phone. “Get Alexandria. Now!” Disconnecting the call, he stuffed his phone back into his pocket.

  “Mr. Spencer,” Isaac spoke. “I understand that you're scared.”

  “Don’t,” Bryce warned.

  “I would be scared too if I were in your place,” Isaac told him.

  “Stop talking,” Bryce yelled.

  Isaac gestured toward the others. “But these people are scared too.”

  Bryce wrapped his free hand in my hair and yanked my head backward, causing me to cry out in pain. “I told you to stop talking.” Bryce’s voice boomed.

  Isaac's eyes flashed with anger as his body tensed, but he didn’t speak again.

  Bryce’s entire body vibrated with laughter. He lowered his lips to my ear. “Looks like someone is sweet on you,” he sneered. “Maybe I should bend you over one of these tables. Show him what a whore you really are.”

  I shook my head, tears streaming down my cheeks. The arm that he had kept around my neck moved as his hand traveled down my shirt. Wincing as he palmed my
breasts, I closed my eyes to shield myself from the embarrassment. His phone rang, startling everyone.

  “Where is she?” Bryce asked after connecting the call, his free hand still fondling my breasts.

  There was a pause as the person on the other end of the call spoke. Their words were too garbled for me to understand.

  “Witnesses, darling…” Bryce exhaled, his voice no longer nervous. Instead, control and authority emanated from him. He was back to the Bryce that I was used to – although I wasn’t sure that was a good thing. Without warning, he painfully twisted my nipple causing me to scream. “She’s fine. Just waiting for you to arrive. Remember how this works?”

  I tried to pry his hand away from my breasts as the person on the other end of the call spoke. It was no use.

  “Mom? Why are you here? Where are you?” Bryce questioned, glancing toward the windows. “Both of you come in. Mom, you can be a witness too. Remember Alexandria, you said you’d say yes in front of witnesses.” I heard Alex crying through the phone. “Oh, darling, you know how I like begging.” He moved his mouth to my ear. “I like it when you beg too, Chelsea. Let me hear you. Do it! Beg for me!”

  “Please, Bryce,” I obeyed. “Let the kids go. Let Alex go. I’ll go back to Carmichael Hall with you. I’ll testify for you. I promise. Please!”

  Turning his attention back to the phone, he said, “You come in here. And they can leave.” I heard his mother’s voice but couldn’t make out her words. “I can’t spend another night in jail. I won’t!”

  One of the women, the one without children, ran toward the door. Isaac grabbed her as she ran past him and pulled her back while Bryce reached for his gun.

  “Get on the fucking ground,” Bryce yelled over the screams of both women. “All of you!” Bryce waited until everybody, including Isaac, was sitting in the corner before he continued, his voice once again soft. “Darling, there’s a guy in here, a priest, minister… or something. Fuck, he could be a rabbi… I’m not sure. It’s not the Presbyterian Church, but he can marry us, just as you promised. Five minutes. Pretend I’m that asshole who you can tell time for. I’m hanging up. Be in here in five minutes or… well, you know how this works.” He hung up the phone, stuffing it back into his pocket.