No Refunds No Exchanges: A Hudson Family Series- Book 4- Matt and Ali

by Chontelle Brison

  “Well, Richard’s wayward ex-wife, my how beautiful you are, my apologies that we have to meet under these circumstances,” Came a voice from just inside my screen door. I watched the door swing open, and a heavyset bald man stepped out onto the porch. Nathan Philips. My heart skipped a beat as I looked at the man from the photograph. Not only was this asshole an accessory to murder but he was a dirty cop. Now, I had met a lot of cops through the community fundraisers I had attended with my father when I was younger, some cops were good, and some were bad. It made sick to think about how everything the good cops did was constantly overshadowed by the actions of assholes like this one.

  “Save it, Nathan, you’re a disgrace to the very badge you hide behind!” I spat trying to yank my arm out of Richard’s grip.

  Nathan’s green bulged when I called him by name and then narrowed when I insulted his honor. Really? He was offended because I called his corrupt ass out on his evil deeds?

  “Get her inside, I’ve been waiting for almost an hour!” he grumbled slamming the door.

  Richard practically yanked my arm out of the socket when he stepped forward, and I didn’t follow fast enough. Biting my bottom lip to keep from crying out, I stumbled up the steps to my door. Once inside I was immediately perturbed that Nathan or Fat Bastard, as I liked to call him now, was sitting on my sofa like he owned the place. Ollie decided to lean against the wall near the fireplace, and Richard decided to drag me with him to the center of the room. I thought he’d loosen his grip once were inside since it was evident I was surrounded and outgunned.

  Nope, the jerk kept his punishing grip on my arm even as he addressed Fat Bastard. “She jumped me in the bear habitat but Ollie and I dragged her back here,” Richard said with an edge of pride in his tone.

  I snorted a laugh, and Richard’s grip tightened further. Looking up at him I gave him a sarcastic grin, “Yeah, that’s exactly how it happened.” I rolled my eyes just to piss him off more. Yeah, it was childish and didn’t help my cause, but I would take what I could get.

  “Enough of this crap, I’ve got a dinner to get to,” Fat Bastard grumped standing up from the coach, an impressive feat give his size.

  “From where I’m standing it doesn’t like you’ve missed too many dinners,” I chuckled. Richard gasped and pulled me closer to him as Fat Bastard shot daggers with his evil green eyes. Eyes he had no right to have. Green eyes were for wonderful, caring people. People like Matt, I thought grimly. What had seemed to make sense this morning, suddenly was unraveling, and I had no idea how to stop it.

  “You got the papers?” Fat Bastard asked Richard, and I couldn’t help the look of confusion that crossed my face.

  Fat Bastard smiled, and his yellowing teeth and rancid breath made me gag. “So, the smart ass doesn’t know everything, does she?” His evil smile made me shudder, and one glance at Ollie told me I was running out of time.

  “There on the desk over there,” Richard told Fat Bastard. I watched the disgusting man amble over to my desk, take a quick glance at my array of paperwork and suddenly lose his mind. Hey, I never professed to be organized. I had stacks of bills to pay, bills I had no chance of paying, paperwork to do and paperwork that never had a chance. In an angry flurry, he began throwing papers off my desk like a mad windmill.

  “Hey asshole, knock it off!” I demanded. He turned back to me with apparent frustration on his fat face.

  “Jesus, woman what kind of organization system is this? How do you find anything?” He shouted as I turned my head and lifted my chin. Nope, was not going to do it. Today was not the day to be lectured on my organization skills by some crooked cop who looked like there had never been a chicken leg he hadn’t met.

  Admittedly, it wasn’t the most opportune time to cop a sullen attitude, but a girl can only take so much in a day.

  “It’s in the red folder, Nathan.” Richard’s angry voice replied.

  Fat Bastard looked down and right in front of his pudgy eyes was the very folder that Richard had pointed out. With a calculated smile, he walked toward me and pulled a packet of papers from the folder.

  Giving him my meanest stare. I didn’t even blink when he threw the heavy sounding stack of papers on my coffee table. My gaze didn’t even waver when he slammed a pen down on the stack and flopped back down on the couch with a sigh.

  “If that’s your confession, just sign it and wait outside for the police to come and take you to jail,” I smirked. I glanced at the clock; it had been over two hours since I had crawled over the fence. Even if no one came, I was hoping that Pepper had gotten Travis and herself back to the car. No matter what happened next at least, I knew she was safe.

  “Funny girl,” Fat Bastard said and then he turned to Richard and barked, “Dammit Richard, put that stupid gun down, the little bitch isn’t going to get past all three of us,” he said in an irritated tone. Richard released my arm, and immediately tingles of pain swept up to the place where he had been cutting off my circulation. Refusing to grimace, I tried to roll my shoulder but was met with a sharp pain the second I lifted it. Damn, it wasn’t dislocated, but it was bruised.

  Richard walked over and handed the gun to Ollie. Ollie placed it on the fireplace mantle and continued to stare at me while he chewed on a toothpick. I silently prayed he choked on that damn toothpick.

  “Okay, enough chit chat, sign the papers, and let's finish this,” Fat Bastard commanded giving me an impatient look.

  Shocked I just stared back at him, “You think I’m going to sign anything you put in front of me? Short of your death warrant, it’s not happening!” I told him crossing my arms, trying not to wince when I moved my bruised shoulder.

  Fat Bastard gave me a wicked look that only promised trouble. However, it was the sideways glance to Ollie followed by a jerk of his head for Ollie to come toward us that got my panic levels jumping.

  I felt Ollie step behind me, and he stood so close that I could feel his breath on my hair. “Now, Ms. Collins we can do this the easy way or the hard way, I can assure you Ollie would much prefer…Hard.” He put emphasis on the last word just to scare me. Unfortunately, it worked. I mean it really worked.

  Richard came toward Ollie and me in an angry huff, “hold just a second, this isn’t what we talked about Nathan,” he gave him a hard, angry stare before turning his furious eyes to Ollie. Could it be that my only way out of here was Richard? Had I hit the bottom of the option barrel so hard that my asshole ex-husband, the one with the picket fence fantasy, was the weak link and possible key to survival? Damn, that sucked.

  Nathan stood up and used one beefy hand to shove Richard down on the sofa. I knew I was staring, I had never seen Richard bossed around by anyone before. Richard had always been in control if someone was dictating orders or acting as if they were the leader, it was Richard.

  My eyes met Richard’s, and I could see he was still pissed. Fat Bastard, on the other hand, looked pleased as punch. As in he had just swallowed an ocean of it and was happily satisfied for at least five minutes.

  “What is it, Richard? What does he want me to sign?” I asked, trying not to flinch when Ollie’s hand brushed down my arm and then barely touched my ass as it swept by.

  Richard was so busy glaring at Ollie that he didn’t answer me. I repeated the question, and he finally looked up at me.

  “It’s a quick claim deed,” he said flatly. I was shocked; he had to know that would never hold up in court. Even if I signed the damn thing, I could contest it because I had been forced to sign it.

  Fat Bastard chose that moment to clue me in. “See, you’re going to sign over the property to your ex-husband because you are so devastated at the thought of losing your animals that you couldn’t imagine living here a moment longer,” he chuckled as he let his voice get whispy and melodramatic as he explained his plan.

  My mind began whirling with questions. Okay, even if I signed it over and they tried to enforce it, I would still challenge it in court. I looked up at Fat Bastard, sur
e the questions showed on my face. Then he laughed a full belly laugh that made Richard stiffen and me cringe.

  “You still don’t get it, do you? You’re gonna sign it all over to Richard and then in your emotional devastation you decide you can’t take the pain and end it all,” he waited as the depth of his words settled in my brain.

  I vaguely heard Richard shouting at Fat Bastard, and Ollie was snickering again. Wow! There was something about hearing your own demise explained in such detail that made it almost a surreal experience.

  My stunned gaze found Richard’s, who looked as shocked as I was. I wasn’t sure what I had expected. Had I really thought I was going to walk up to Richard and beat a confession out of him with Synclair’s bat? The foolishness of my actions settled in my stomach like a rock. I was an idiot, the man had murdered my parents, and I thought I could take him on, all alone? If there was an award for stupid of the year, I was pretty sure I had it hands down.

  This was ridiculous! I should be in Matt’s arms right now, telling him how much I loved him. Instead, I had refused to give him an answer when he’d asked me to marry him and then snuck out like a thief in the night because I wanted to show him how strong I was. Only now that I stood here, surrounded by slime balls, did I see with absolute clarity that I wanted to marry Matthew Hudson! Matt was the only man I would ever love again, and if I got out of here alive, I was would beg the man on my hands and knees to forgive me, to take me back, to marry me and never leave my side.

  Unfortunately, the worst thing about a moment of clarity was the timing. While my heart sang with the realization that I wanted a life with Matthew, that I wasn’t afraid anymore; my heart sank with the knowledge that the chances of overpowering three large men that wanted to off me, were not in my favor.

  Since they intended to kill me after I signed the deed, there was no reason not to stall. As far as plans went, mine sucked but I was hoping to form a new one before Ollie but a bullet in my head.

  “Well, with a future like that for me, why the hell would I sign anything?” I challenged. Fat Bastard was definitely not a man that was used to being told, no. That fact made me want to ensure he heard it a lot from me.

  “Well, that was the easy way, love.” He nodded at Ollie over my shoulder, and I felt Ollie's hand on my waist. I jerked away, he grabbed my wrist with one hand, and the other pressed a knife of cold steel against my throat.

  “Now, Ollie likes women. He loves the way they feel, and he especially likes them when they scream and beg him to stop.” Fat Bastard said brightly.

  I clenched my teeth when I felt Ollie’s fingers brush the skin under my sweater, just above the waistband of my jeans. I moved to grab his hand and froze when I felt the sharp knife dig into the flesh of my neck. I gave Ollie a stare that told him how much of an asshole he really was and refused to cry when I felt the first trickle of blood began to slowly make its way down my neck.

  “Wow, this is cliché. This is the best you got, Fat man?” I asked in a voice way stronger than I felt. “You’re going to use the rape card against me? When in doubt threaten to let Ollie here have his way with me? As if Ollie would know to do with a woman that didn’t have a knife pressed to her throat! Why don’t you put that knife down, pussy and take it like a real man?” I challenged. I had no idea where I was going with this. However, I had a knife to my throat and any second Ollie’s hands were going to roam toward places on my body that I would rather risk having a slit throat before letting him touch.

  “Fuck that, I don’t need a fucking knife to take this broad. Besides, I like it more when they scream.” Ollie argued pulling the knife from my throat.

  I watched as Ollie tossed the knife to the floor and backed away to remove his dark leather jacket. The excitement in his eyes told me that he was excited; the idea of overpowering a woman seemed to turn him on.

  “This is what you want?” I asked glaring at Fat Bastard who had sat back to watch the entertainment. Richard refused to look at me and looked more ready to vomit then I was.

  Taking a deep breath, I focused on everything my father had taught me about self-defense, every documentary that I’d ever seen on animal planet about hunters taking down prey and prepared for the biggest fight of my life. I flexed my arm and was relieved that my shoulder was more numb than anything. Thankfully, my legs felt solid under me, and I hoped that they could last a little longer.

  I let my eyes steal a quick glance to where Ollie had tossed his blade. As he his hungry eyes took me, I let the idea of how much I was going to enjoy making him eat that knife, wash over me.

  “Once I’ve had a little time with you, sweetheart, you’ll beg me to let you sign those papers,” he promised, his eyes wild with lust.

  “When I’m done with you Ollie, you’ll beg me to kill you,” I retorted. My father had always told me that when it came to a real fight, to treat it like it was life or death. Yep, no problem there, if I lost and Ollie got his hands on me, I would definitely want to die. The other thing my father had taught me was, balls out. That was his way of getting me to not hold back in a fight, no rules, no boundaries, nothing was off limits. The goal was to decimate your opponent by any means possible, and you don’t stop until your opponent can’t get off the ground. At the time, I thought my father’s daily lessons in self-defense were violent and not necessary.

  However, if dad were here today, I would give him a great big hug because I was about to use every move he had forced me to learn.

  I moved left, and Ollie circled with me, I positioned myself so that I was closest to the where the knife was and gave a short nod. Licking his lips, he came in low, but my father had taught me how to counter that move. With reflexes I didn’t know I had, I dodged right and used my foot to kick his ass straight into the wall of my living room. As he cried out in pain, I backed up until I felt the knife touch my barefoot. Partially obscured by the sofa, I bent down like I was grabbing my knee in pain, grabbed the knife in my hand and waited for Ollie to take his stance.

  Ollie straightened while running a hand over the large swelling on his forehead. Fat Bastard laughed which only made Ollie look more pissed, and Richard just stared.

  My sweater hid the knife, and I gave the handle a feel to judge the weight. I knew I had the skill to pull off my next move. I have practiced throwing knives with my father and then John for hours and hours. My aim was spot on. However, I had never aimed at a human before. I wasn’t sure I could kill another person. Tears filled my eyes, and I wanted to slap myself. The man had killed my parents, intended to rape me and I was struggling with the moral code? I can’t do it, I thought I could but I can’t!

  “Ya know, after we’re finished here, I think I’m gonna look up that sweet niece of your’s, that girl has some tits that are just begging for my hands.” His slimy grin reached from ear to ear as I absorbed his words.

  Not on your life asshole! Mind adjustment complete! I can kill you asshole, and I’m going to actually enjoy giving you what you deserve!

  Ollie moved so fast that I only had seconds to react. Without thought, I threw the knife with all I had and watched, stunned as Ollie fell to the ground with the knife sticking out of his forehead. Everything seemed in slow motion as I watched Ollie’s body twitch, his eyes open with a look of surprise. Fat Bastard was rising from the sofa and Richard was leaping over the coffee table toward the fireplace. Before my mind could even wrap around what was happening Richard grabbed the gun. Instead of swinging it towards me, he pointed it at Fat Bastard and fired five times. The sound of the shots being fired pulled me out of my daze, and I bolted for the door. I had barely made it down the steps when I a bullet smacked the ground next to my feet.

  Shrieking, I jumped and turned around toward the house. Richard was standing on the top step of my porch, the gun was in his hand, resting on his leg and he was breathing hard. I couldn’t speak. I had just killed a man and then watched as Richard had killed one too. I knew better than to think that Richard had any intention of le
tting me go and even less of turning himself in.

  “You killed Ollie,” he panted.

  “You killed Fat Bastard,” I replied feeling like my chest was too tight to breathe.

  We stood there for several moments, just staring at each other. I wasn’t sure that Richard even knew what he was going to do next, but I was sure I wouldn’t like it.

  “I can’t let you live.” He stated sadly. I felt my heart drop at his words. The sad tone of his voice didn’t make my impending death any easier.

  “This doesn’t have to go any further, Richard. You just saved my life in there. You can still walk away clean.” I told him. It was a lie, I did not intend to let him get away with my parent's murder, but he didn’t need to know that.

  He smiled and shook his head. “Alison, I know you too well, sweetheart. You could never let me walk away from this. I just couldn’t let Nathan hurt you. He would have made you suffer, and I love you too much for that.”

  “Just not enough to let me live?” I threw back at him. I wasn’t sure if he wanted a thank you for shooting Nathan or what.

  “You know I can’t. I’ll be ruined, Alison. The developers in New York advanced me hundreds of thousands of dollars over the past few years, in good faith that I’d get this property for them. You’re sitting on a silver mine, Alison.” He said. The tone of his voice was both sad and excited.

  “I can still sell them the property, Richard. That would pay back your debt. I can’t live here anyways, my permit was revoked, remember?” I was hoping I could reach some sense of reason with him.

  However, as he reluctantly began walking down the steps, I knew I hadn’t gotten anywhere at all. As sad as he professed to be, the asshole was still going to kill me to save his own skin.

  “How are you going to explain two dead guys in there, Richard?” I asked as I desperately tried to figure out a means of escape.

  He shrugged, and I weighed the pros and cons of allowing him closer or backing away. Closer allowed me to lunge for the gun, but backing away kept me farther from the bullets. Damn, decisions – decisions!