by A. P. Jensen
“You wanted to prove you were over me,” he surmised with unnerving accuracy. When she didn’t reply, he laughed. “There you were in the middle of all of those people, dressed all prim and proper at a rock concert. Only you, Demi.”
“It was a last minute decision and I didn’t have time to change,” she said defensively. “A fan gave me that shirt. She didn’t think I was dressed right either.”
“You stuck out like a sore thumb. You’ve always been classy.”
“I didn’t do it deliberately and my clothes were conservative.”
“Honey, the way that skirt hugged your hips and ass isn’t conservative.”
Demi tried to yank her hand out of Johnny’s and wasn’t prepared when he caged her against the wall. She looked over his shoulder and saw two men talking across the street, either oblivious to the scene Johnny was making or not caring. She switched her gaze back to Johnny and wasn’t happy to see his grin.
“You make me feel twenty again,” he said.
His eyes shone with happiness and amusement and she didn’t know how to handle it.
“Johnny, I can’t do this again.”
Johnny rested his forehead against hers. “I want my friend back, my lover. I don’t know which will come first, but I’ll wait.”
Tears pricked her eyes. He saw them and closed his eyes tight for a moment.
“Whatever you need, I’ll give,” he vowed. “Whatever penance I need to pay, I’ll pay it ten times over.”
She closed her eyes in self-defense. How could she deny him when his words vibrated with sincerity? “I can’t do this,” she whispered.
Johnny kissed her on the forehead and eased back. “What do you want to eat tonight?”
Demi’s eyes flew open. “What?”
“Pizza sound good?”
“I’m not staying with you.” She should be relieved that he reverted back to his bossy, controlling self instead of offended. “I’m checking into a hotel!”
“Pizza it is. See you later, babe.”
She dodged as his head dipped down and he kissed the corner of her mouth. He chuckled and walked away whistling. Demi let out a stifled scream before she stomped into Ever After.
“He’s nice for a celebrity,” Bethany said over the sound of the sewing machine.
Demi made a hissing sound and walked into the office. Regan had a legal pad filled with notes and was already in the zone. Demi wanted to ask about the apartment, but the intent look on Regan’s face didn’t bode well. She had to keep business and personal separate. It probably wouldn’t take long to find a hotel after they were done for the day. To shake off Johnny’s effect on her, she grabbed a stack of handwritten invoices. It took an hour for her to get past the first five pages.
After an hour, the steady flow of the sewing machine stopped. Demi peeked out of the office. Bethany circled the wedding gown and knelt beside the skirt and pulled out needle and thread. Bethany’s movements were graceful and quiet. It was obvious that working on the gown was therapeutic for her. She did it to unwind between altering mundane clothes. Demi wished she could create something half as beautiful when she was stressed out of her mind. Bethany examined her handiwork before she walked back to the garment rack and took down a sequined prom dress and read the measurements pinned to it.
“Coffee,” Regan grunted at four.
“I’ll go to the cafe,” Demi volunteered, more than ready to stretch her legs. “I’ll be back.”
She grabbed her purse and passed Bethany who was in the shop talking to a young, starry-eyed bride. Bethany had a big smile on her face. The change in her expression was so startling that Demi paused. Bethany was pretty somber for the most part, but she came alive when she was with a client. Good to know.
Demi walked out of Ever After and paused every now and then to peek in storefront windows. The displays weren’t modern and chic, they were warm and homey. There were practical things on display, not three thousand dollar purses or spiked stilettos. White Mist was a simple place with no frills and Demi decided she liked it. She didn’t have to fight a never ending parade of pedestrians or deal with noisy street traffic or rude people. The town was steeped in a serene quiet she never experienced before.
Demi was almost at the cafe when someone yanked her into an alley. She was so startled that she didn’t have time to scream before a hand clamped over her mouth. Demi landed against a body that was large and strong. Her stomach dropped in panic when she was lifted off her feet and carried to an abandoned parking lot behind the buildings that lined Main Street. She bucked in panic and her nails reached back to rake over her assailants face.
“Demi.”
Demi froze as she was whirled around and pinned against an SUV. Demi stared up at Barry, her ex, with her mouth open. Barry had brown hair and eyes and wore his customary gray three piece suit. His slick hair gleamed in the light and she was dumbfounded not only by his presence, but how he just manhandled her.
“What the hell are you doing?” she demanded.
“You never came home,” he said and his hands tightened on her. “You just disappeared.”
The bitter taste of betrayal coated her mouth and she said slowly and deliberately, “I know, Barry.”
He stared at her. “Know what?”
“You bought out The Ashton Hotel and fired me!”
Barry looked startled for a moment and then he said, “You weren’t supposed to find out.”
There wasn’t a shred of remorse in his voice. “That’s all you have to say to me? I wasn’t supposed to find out? Are you fucking kidding me?” she shouted.
Barry looked taken aback in the face of her anger. “I did it for us.”
Demi placed her hands on his chest and shoved. He rocked back, but didn’t move away far enough away for her to escape. “Us?”
“You didn’t see anything beyond the hotel. You shouldn’t be working seventy hours a week. You should be at home, waiting for me. I want kids and I want them with you. You refused to set a date until the hotel was stable. It was failing and you were stressed out of your mind.”
“You took away my legacy because I worked too much?” she asked, voice hoarse with rage. Learning the truth about Barry’s betrayal the day she went to Johnny’s concert was another hurt she buried along with the grief she refused to acknowledge. Looking at him now, her stomach churned. She couldn’t believe she wore his ring on her finger and let him make love to her. “You lied to me, I left. Now, let me go.”
Demi tried to sidle sideways, but he leaned heavily against her, effectively pinning her in place. When she struggled, he grabbed her arms and easily pinned them behind her. He was built like a tank and he’d never used his strength against her before. Demi stilled as she caught sight of his eyes—there was an unnatural sheen to them. Her heart thumped in her chest as she registered that Barry wasn’t his normal placid self. Barry rested his forehead against hers. It was reminiscent of what she did with Johnny mere hours before, but where she yearned for Johnny, Barry made her feel cold with fear.
“Before you lost your family, you wouldn’t commit to me. When they passed in the plane crash, you needed me,” Barry said fiercely. “You finally leaned on me the way I needed you to. It was good until you found out about the debt and started working around the clock. I rarely saw you after that.” He shook his head. “You should have let me explain and then none of this would’ve happened.”
There was so much wrong in what he just said that she couldn’t say a thing. For the first time, she really looked at Barry. He was wealthy, attractive, pleasant. That’s all she saw in the two years that they dated. She never could have predicted that easygoing Barry would call in debts and steal her birthright just to get her to the altar. Who would do such a thing?
“When were you going to tell me that you were the reason I couldn’t sleep, couldn’t eat?” she challenged. “What you did wasn’t for us, it was for you, Barry.You got what you wanted. You have The Ashton Hotel. Now, leave me alone.”<
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His hand sank into her hair and he let out a low groan. “I’ve never loved anyone the way I love you, Demi.”
She tried to get her hands between them to shove him away, but he was plastered against her. “Yeah, you love me so much that you watched me worry myself sick and work twelve hour days to keep the hotel. You’re a bastard!”
“There are other hotels,” he soothed, brushing her hair back from her face. “I’ll buy you another one after we get married.”
Her mouth dropped open. “We are never getting married! I left you, Barry. Now, let me go.”
His eyes narrowed. “Didn’t you hear what I said? I love you.”
“What you did isn’t love. You’re a selfish asshole. Now, get off me.”
When he continued to stare at her, she shoved. Hard. Barry staggered back and she began to walk towards the alley. Her mind was stuck in a rut of disbelief. How could she not have seen beneath Barry’s polished smile? When she came home, heartsick, stressed and worried she let him make love to her. She might vomit.
A hard hand clamped on her arm and whirled her around. She tipped her head back to blast him, but the wrath on his face stopped her cold. Barry had always been unfailingly polite. He never raised his voice to her, not even when she refused to set a date for their wedding. She felt disconnected from her body as she watched his face contort with incandescent rage.
“You don’t walk away from me. Ever,” Barry spat.
She tried to wrench away, but he tightened his hold. He was a big guy who worked out obsessively to make sure his body was in top shape. She cried out when his fingers dug into her arm.
“You belong to me, Demi. You gave yourself to me and you don’t get to walk away. Not now, not ever. I’m taking you home.”
He turned and began to drag her to the SUV. Demi screamed and Barry cursed as it echoed through the parking lot. When he tried to lift her, she struggled for all she was worth and screamed again. When his hand covered her mouth, she bit down hard. He cursed and suddenly she began to fall. The back of her head hit the cement so hard that her vision blackened. Barry straddled her middle and clamped a hand over her mouth, grinding the back of her head into the pavement. She squinted against the sunlight and realized the complacent Barry she lived with was a facade. He was deranged.
“I saw you on TV with that rock star. I couldn’t believe it. You leave me for him? He’s had millions of women. He can’t give you what I can. How could you betray me like this?”
“Get off of her.” An authoritative voice cut through Barry’s ramblings and Demi felt a surge of hope.
“This is between her and I,” Barry said, voice rational and calm.
“I’ll be the judge of that. Get your hand off her mouth and let her up.” When Barry didn’t move, the voice ordered, “Do it before I put a bullet in you.”
Yay. A cop. Shoot him, please.
For several seconds, Barry didn’t move and then he looked down at her. He took his hand away and before she could draw in a breath, he dipped his head and kissed her. She let out a disgusted sound and raised her nails to rake them over his face. Before she could do anything, he got to his feet. He even offered her a hand to help her up. She rolled and when she got to her feet, swayed. Her hand went to the back of her head and came away wet with blood. Her arms and legs were scraped and hurt like hell. Blood dribbled down her legs and arms and she began to shake.
“Oh, honey, I’m sorry. I was just so angry and I just wanted you to see—” Barry began.
“Shut it,” she said.
Regan’s brother in law, the Chief of Police stood eight feet away with his gun drawn. His eyes moved from her to Barry and back.
“Who is he?” Guy asked.
“My ex, Barry, and he’s leaving.” Demi winced as bolts of pain shot through her skull.
“You’re coming with me,” Guy said to Barry.
“Guy, don’t,” Demi said wearily.
Barry had money and lots of it. Nothing she charged him with would stick and after what just happened, she just wanted him gone.
“Demi, he assaulted you,” Guy said in a low, even voice. “How far would he have gone if I didn’t stop him?”
She shivered. Barry would have stuffed her in the car and taken her back to New York. She wouldn’t be able to do anything.
“I didn’t assault her,” Barry said angrily.
“She’s bleeding and you were sitting on her when I drove up,” Guy said and his eyes were deadly serious. “Shut the fuck up and put your hands behind your back.”
Demi’s eyes popped. Could cops talk to people like that?
“You’re coming to the station and you’re filing charges,” Guy said and holstered his weapon.
“But—” Demi began, floored by the latest turn of events.
Barry didn’t fight as Guy handcuffed him and led him to his cop car. Demi could feel Barry’s eyes on her, but she didn’t meet his gaze. She brushed small rocks out of her cuts and didn’t look up until Guy’s boots appeared in her line of vision. She raised her head and the throb on the back of her head intensified. She winced and said, “I don’t want to press charges. He’s—”
“Did you walk back here willingly?” Guy interrupted.
She blinked. “What?”
“Did you walk into this deserted parking lot willingly?” When she didn’t answer, a muscle jumped in his jaw. “You’re working with Regan Lee at Ever After, right? You were probably walking on the sidewalk, he grabs you and drags you back here. Maybe you fought him so he gets rough and that’s where I come in. You going to tell me he just wanted to talk to you?”
“No,” she whispered.
“You’re pressing charges,” Guy said shortly. “You’re bloody and he was trying to get you into his car with force.” His eyes narrowed. “I can pin a kidnapping attempt charge on his ass, but I can smell money on him. You think it’s not worth it cause he’ll find a way to dodge the charges?”
She nodded.
“Well, I’m sure when Johnny hears about this, he’ll make sure Barry doesn’t get away with a fucking thing.”
“Johnny?” she echoed, confused.
“Johnny has money to burn and he won’t mind tossing it to make sure that asshole,” Guy jerked his head at the SUV, “doesn’t get away with this.”
“I’ve never seen Barry like this. He’s acting,” she waved her hands and shuddered, “insane. He’s not himself.”
“You left him and came here?” Guy asked.
“Yeah.”
“Some men lose it when their women leave. Doesn’t matter what provoked him, he isn’t assaulting women in my town.” Guy’s voice gentled and he hesitated before he reached out and tipped her face up to the sun. “You’re getting a bruise on your face.”
She touched her cheek and tears welled in her eyes. “Shit.”
“You’ll be okay, Demi,” Guy said and pulled out his phone. “Regan Lee, we got a problem. Demi’s ex showed up and roughed her up in the lot behind Main Street. Yeah. Take her to the hospital and then the station. I’m gonna take care of this fuckwad.” Guy closed the phone. “Regan Lee will be here in a minute. You okay?”
“Yes.”
He gave her a stern look. “We take care of our own.”
“But I’m not—”
“You are now.”
Guy hadn’t even left the parking lot when Regan braked beside Demi with a screech of tires. She leapt out of the car and rushed to Demi, eyes dark with rage.
“What the fuck?” Regan shouted. “Johnny is gonna freak.”
“I-I’m fine,” Demi said and realized her teeth were chattering.
Regan put an arm around her and led her to the SUV. Demi tried to reassure Regan that she was fine, but she felt strangely numb and had trouble getting into the car. Her limbs were limp and uncoordinated and Regan had to assist her. Regan made some creative threats on the way to the hospital where Demi’s scraped arms and legs were cleaned. When they prodded the back of her head,
Demi thought she was going to pass out.
“Concussion,” the doctor announced. “It’s a pretty nasty bump. You may have headaches. Over the counter drugs are fine. Rest. No work for a couple of days.” He glanced at Regan. “She’s working with you at Ever After, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Give her at least three days, especially if it’s work where she has to concentrate.”
“But I just started,” Demi protested.
“Quiet,” Regan snapped.
Regan talked to the doctor and insisted on a wheelchair to get her out to the SUV.
“Regan, I’m fine!” Demi protested.
“You’re not fine. Your ex assaulted you, you’re white as a sheet, you have a concussion and you haven’t said more than ten words since you got in the car.” Regan shot her an angry look. “You forgot to mention that your ex gets rough?”
“He’s never done anything like this before,” Demi said quietly, staring straight ahead. “I never believed he could—” She broke off and sighed. “I can’t believe this.”
Regan pulled up to the police station and Demi went rigid. She didn’t want to go in and report what happened. It would make everything seem so official, so real instead of a big misunderstanding. Plus, her hands and legs were covered in bandages, making things look so much worse.
“Demi, it’ll be okay,” Regan said.
“This really wasn’t a big deal,” Demi said.
“It fucking was. Get your ass out of the car. Now.”
Even though Demi was a foot taller than Regan and outweighed her by eighty pounds or more, she got out of the car. Regan was small, but she was aggressive and clearly didn’t mind getting physical. Demi never had to defend herself in her life. She’d always been around polite, conservative people and now… Now, one of them had gone berserk and she didn’t know what to do about it.
Regan led her into the police station, which was manned by three cops. They nodded to Regan, but all eyes were on Demi. Guy stood in the doorway of an office and jerked his head at them. When they settled in the chairs across from his desk, Guy gave Demi a long look.
“I thought you weren’t going to give me trouble,” Guy said.