My head continued to shake. “I’m not lying to him.” My lips trembled. “Especially about something like that. Not after I told him I loved him…after he showed me his face!” Tears started once more. “I can’t hurt him…”
Al’s face softened. “I’m sorry Rissa…I know its hard, but…”
“No, I can’t!”
“He will leave you be for now if he thinks you betrayed him,” Al said firmly. “Think of Mom.”
I slumped down in a chair and buried my face in my hands.
Ian cleared his throat. “He’s right Nerissa. Liam simply knowing you are safe is not going to be enough. He will want to know why you left. He won’t accept a half assed excuse. He will come after you…send someone after you…he will do something without thinking.”
I lifted my eyes to his with disbelief. “Do you think he would believe I would run away after seeing him? I would choose you?”
“Look at his track record,” he said softly. “And after you saw him…what was his first words…his first reaction?”
My lip trembled. “He told me he would understand if I left.” I buried my face in my hands again. I let myself have my tears.
“It will keep him off our tail just long enough,” Al said softly. “Long enough to get Mom back and to figure out the rest!”
“Just do it,” I moaned.
I sensed Ian before me, before I felt his hands on my face. He pulled my hands away and made me meet his gaze. “We will fix it after. I promise…he will understand.” He brushed the tears. “This is about your Mom now. Let’s focus on her.”
I nodded and swallowed back the sobs that wanted to come. I didn’t want to imagine the crushing feeling Liam was about to have. Oh God…I wasn’t going to be there to comfort him! What was he going to do? I could only imagine the betrayal I would feel being in his shoes after making myself so vulnerable.
“How am I going to explain calling from your phone?” Ian asked, taking Al’s phone from him. He sat on the arm rest beside me.
“I’m blocked. I’ve always talked to him from the station. He won’t put it together.”
Ian nodded, took in a deep breath and dialed his brother’s number.
I buried my face in a pillow.
“Brother,” Ian sighed into the phone.
Adrenaline spiked in my veins.
“Yes, she’s with me. We…we’re…we’re heading somewhere to be alone for a bit.”
I worried my lip as he frowned.
“Yes it is at her consent.”
I hugged the pillow closer.
“She wants to be with me…she chose me,” Ian said a little breathlessly. This lie was hard on him.
I watched him from beneath my lashes, wanting desperately to hear Liam on the other side. I wanted to be there with my arms around him now, my face buried in his neck. Somehow I felt Liam could make this all better.
“Liam…I’m sorry. You…you’ve known how I felt and when she came to me tonight and asked me to leave with her…how was I to say no?” His Adam’s apple worked hard as he struggled with the lie. He listened to the other end. “Y...yes, I know about that…the unmasking.” He cleared his throat. “It was too much for her,” he whispered.
I bit back a sob. Such a lie!
Ian sat up and looked toward at again. “I don’t think she wants to talk to you,” he said softly. “She can’t” He drew in a breath and nodded. “I understand.” He stood up and held the phone out to me. “He says you owe him.”
Al bit his tongue. To say anything would give away his presence and raise questions. He gave me a look of warning.
I gave Ian a look of panic and reached for the phone. I slowly held it to my ear. “Hello,” I said softly.
“You have all my secrets,” Liam whispered brokenly.
I closed my eyes against the pain in his voice and stifled a sob. I couldn’t lie to him! I knew this in an instant! The second I heard that warm wonderful voice I was defenseless! I wanted to weep. I already missed him.
“I can’t accept this Nerissa.”
“You have to Liam,” I sighed. My voice was trembling. “Please.”
“You love me.” His voice was rough and lovely. “You love me.”
I pulled in a breath.
“I’m not hiding anymore…why are you?”
Why couldn’t Liam know all? Why shouldn’t he know? Maybe it would be best if the police were in on it! Or at least the person I trusted with my very life! I placed a hand over my erratically beating heart.
“Nerissa, say something.”
“I’m not hiding!”
“You are lying,” he growled…and even his growl was lovely.
I drew in another calming breath. I had done this! I had drawn him out of hiding and now I had made him sure of himself…sure of my love, well, confident of it. This lie would not work on him and it gave me great joy!
I cleared my throat and tried to think quickly. “You have to accept that I am with Ian,” I said gently. “You can’t come after me…you have to trust that this is as it should be.”
He was quiet for a few seconds as though he was weighing my words. I heard him take in an even breath. “Do you love me?”
“Do you trust me?” I prayed he would remember our earlier talk.
“Enough to take away my mask.”
“Then you have your answer,” I said gruffly.
He sighed a breath of relief and softly chuckled. “I knew it.” He groaned into the phone. “You are safe where you are? You are near?”
“Yes,” I whispered.
“Please, give me a clue my love.”
“I left something on your desk,” I whispered. “You hold all my secrets too Liam.”
Al frowned.
I covered the phone. “Just comforting him!”
“End the call soon,” he whispered.
“I’m sorry Liam…I have to say goodbye,” I murmured.
“I need more,” he whispered frantically.
“I can’t,” I whimpered. “Take care.” I hit end and tossed the phone for effect, burying my face in the pillow again. I was comforted by both, but felt a sudden calm, knowing in some way, Liam was now involved.
“What now?” I murmured from my hiding place.
“We have to wait to be contacted by the kidnapper. He…he wants…he wants to meet with you.”
Ian growled. “What? No!”
“Yes,” I said softly. “I had a feeling it would be something like that.”
“Meet where?” Ian’s blue eyes were dark.
Al looked to me. “Riss…he said you would know.”
I lowered me gaze.
“How the hell is she supposed to know? She was with him for thirty seconds before you saved her! This is ridiculous!” Ian paced back and forth in front of me. “And how did he know how to contact you? How to get into that party? Where Rissa even was? How has he been so close and never found?” The anger in Ian’s face was so uncharacteristic it was almost scary. His usual joy was a mask of rage.
“He’s been watching her,” Al growled. “For a long long time.”
I nodded.
Ian frowned. “Like, stalking?”
Al crossed his arms. “He had a lot of pretty personal information on her when he called. He was pretty detailed in his jealous rambles about Liam too. I don’t know how he knows…but he knows.”
I shivered at the thought.
“And Nerissa is supposed to magically know the place to meet this psycho?” His pacing picked up its tempo.
“What time?” I stared at the phone in my hands…trying to fight the numbness that was washing over me. I had a job to do. I had to protect the people I love!
Ian’s pacing stopped. “You know where he will be?” He knelt down before me and his anger melted. “Where?”
I looked down at him and shook my head. “You can’t go with me Ian.” I turned my head to my brother. “You either Al.”
Both men growled under their breath.
“It’s got to be just me.”
“We don’t know what he wants Nerissa,” Al argued. “I can’t let you go out there all on your own! He will have all of the power.”
I frowned. “Then what was the point of hurting Liam? I would rather have him with me then. It is because of him that this person is all riled up! He is jealous of him.”
Al frowned. “We are chancing things even having Ian here! We had to take Liam out of the equation. He would be too emotionally involved.”
I folded my arms. “Oh, and you won’t?
He rolled his eyes. “I’m your brother. I have earned the right to be at your side.”
Typical Al and his protective side rearing up. There would be no talking him down. I had to appeal to him though. “You said he won’t deal with you…what makes you think he is going to let you come with me?”
“I don’t know what to expect,” he said helplessly. His green eyes were full of torment and there were dark circles beneath. He was a wreck.
“What happened?” I asked softly, finally asking what I hadn’t wanted to ask. It was the elephant in the room. The one missing…Mom.
Al ran a hand through his hair and his hand trembled a bit. “We were home a few minutes…both pretty tired after the party and decided to go to bed. I never even heard anything,” he whispered. “I slept maybe an hour and then I got a call shortly before I called you. At first it was a rant about you and Liam and I thought it was a prank.” His brow furrowed. “He put Mom on the phone then…to let me know he was serious.” He rubbed a hand over his face. “I have never heard her that scared.”
I shivered and fought back tears. I wanted to rush him and hug him close, but he was struggling enough to hold it together. A show of comfort may cause him to lose it.
“He told me to not call the cops…do not warn the lover…simply get you here so that you can get to him. He said you would know where to meet him.
I pulled in a shuddering breath and hugged the pillow to my chest. “Am I supposed to wait for a call?”
He nodded and swallowed hard.
“Will it happen tonight? How will he know?” I glanced down at the phone and my hand began to tremble.
Ian placed his own hand over mine. He was still kneeling before me and watching me with concern.
“I think he may be watching the apartment,” Al whispered.
I paled. “So he saw Ian? Do you think he mistook him for Liam?”
Ian shook his head, squeezing my hand. “He knows Liam doesn’t leave the house if he has been watching as hard as he wants us to believe. That doesn’t change overnight.”
I took a little comfort from those words and smiled sadly. “Some things can change overnight with Liam.”
Ian raised his brows. “Like what?”
I peeked up at him. ‘Well, he went to meet the policemen with no mask,” I said softly. “Said he was done hiding.”
His blue eyes widened.
I nodded to answer his unanswered question, bit my lip, and blinked back tears. “This is all so messed up.”
Ian sighed and pulled me in for a hug. “He will forgive you.”
I ducked my head into his shoulder to hide my face. I didn’t want to give myself away with my lack of worry. There would be no forgiveness necessary. I hadn’t had to lie to him. I hoped to never have to lie to Liam.
The phone between the two of us began to buzz and we both jumped back in fear. My hand trembled about it and I wanted to lose it at that moment, but held it together.
Al made his way over to me, crouching down, just as Ian was. They both watched me. One set of green, one set of blue…both wary and encouraging all at once.
I answered cautiously, as if the phone would bite. At that moment I felt as if anything was possible! The trembling in my body began and I willed my vision to remain focused.
“Beautiful Nerissa, so good to hear your voice. Glad you could make it at this late hour. I see you have bent the rules a little bringing your young man’s brother.” The voice was cynical and syrupy all at once. It turned my stomach.
“He was my only way out,” I whispered. “Liam…”
“Don’t…say his name,” he shouted.
I grimaced and nearly dropped the phone.
Al gently took the phone from my trembling fingers and hit speaker.
“Do not say that man’s name again if you value your mother’s life…do you understand? I have been quite understanding up until now.”
“Don’t hurt her please,” I whispered, fighting tears. “I’m trying to understand what I did wrong.”
He laughed softly, and the laugh was anything but jovial or inviting enough to make you want to join in. “You changed your course Nerissa. I liked you where you were. You had your job…you had your family…and you hid yourself from everything else. You belonged to nothing else but me.”
I opened my mouth to argue but Al touched my arm and shook his head. He was right. The man was delusional.
“You took this job and suddenly I never see you…I had to work hard to get in. I had to really work hard to get through security checks! Thank God I don’t have a record!” He laughed that cruel laugh again. “At least one that is known!”
“You would have had to have your prints,” I argued. I knew I had to do so before starting. “They would have found something…”
“I can be pretty crafty…I was able to convince them I was capable without the print check. Being an old man can work to its advantage. Your man let me go tonight because of it…just a drunk old man…he meant no harm…that’s what he said. Bet he wished he’s gotten my prints…or cared to look at my face when I was one of the workers in his stable! That’s what I did…I worked in the stables…saw your love every morning and wanted to slit his throat every morning,” he growled.
I shivered.
“I want to see you Nerissa.”
“To what end?” My voice was trembling. “What do I have to give in return for my Mom?”
“I just want to talk.”
“Sixteen years you wait just to talk?”
He cleared his throat. “I would have been content just to watch you but you altered things. Now we need to make things right. You come see me…you know where…you come alone. We talk and your Mother can go free. Half hour from now…three thirty a.m. I mean it Nerissa…alone.” He hung up.
I looked to Al and to Ian.
“Where are we going?” Al demanded.
I shook my head.
“We are going,” he growled.
“No,” I growled back.
Ian sighed and rubbed his forehead. He had already learned how stubborn I could be.
“Seriously Nerissa…I could strangle you,” Al cried. He threw his hands up and stomped toward the bedroom he occupied when he visited. “I’m going to give you a few minutes to rethink being a daredevil…and a few minutes to cool off myself…and when I return, I better get a different answer!” He slammed the door behind him.
I turned quickly to Ian. “Please, just trust me,” I whispered. “I need your car.”
Ian paled.
“Trust me,” I whispered. “I have to do this on my own.”
“Alonso will kill me!”
“Give me your keys. I will go to my room. There is a fire escape. It will not be your fault. Tell Al I needed to lay down for a few minutes,” I whispered even softer. “I will be okay Ian. I just need to send Liam a message.”
He frowned.
“Liam holds all of my secrets.”
His frown deepened. “Rissa that doesn’t make sense!”
“It will.” I reached for his hand. “Please?”
Ian met my gaze for a moment and took in a deep breath. “Fine,” he growled and went for his coat and the keys. “You won’t have a coat,” he protested, as he handed them over.
I shoved them in my jeans. “I have one in my closet in my room. Mom always makes sure we have clothes here. Always kept her from going through the empty nest issue if she f
elt we still lived here. Tears teased the corners of my eyes. I had to get her home safe.
I picked up Al’s phone and texted. 3:30 am…that place.
Ian looked to me with confusion and I gave him a quick hug.
“I love you friend. I really do.”
He squeezed me tight. “Are you sure this is the right way?”
I nodded.
“I love you friend,” he whispered back with emotion.
I hurried to my bedroom, closing the door behind.
I leaned against the door and willed the trembling to stop. The black spots were in my vision so I closed my eyes and took in a few breaths. I could do this! I hurried to the closet and pulled on the jacket on that was hanging inside it. It wasn’t winter material…but it was better than nothing!
I was able to quietly open my window and shivered as the cold blast hit my body. I glanced over my shoulder and decided locking my door would be a good idea. It would put Al off for a few minutes more if he tried the door any time soon! I turned the lock and dashed to my window, throwing my leg over and out onto the escape.
The snow was falling even heavier now and it made my decent a little slippery but I managed to get down without falling but my hands were numb and managing the keys was almost impossible. I turned the car on and let the back and front wipers do quick work of the snow.
My eyes kept glancing toward the stoop, expecting to see Al come crashing through the door. When the light from my bedroom came on…I knew my wait time was up and I put the car in drive and was off. I sent a little prayer up for Ian that Al would believe his story!
I made my way down familiar streets all but dead in the early morning. Give it another two hours and commuters would be on their way to work. It would be a different picture than the chilling one now.
I went down memory lane as I pulled down the road of the intended meeting. Our old house was only minutes from here. At the end of the road was an old restaurant…just a quaint little place at one time. It had long since been boarded up. Not much happened on this street anymore. It had all but gone to ruins. To me it felt like poetic justice for what had happened here. It was the street on which my father had died.
My hands trembled on the steering wheel and I slowed.
We had been leaving the restaurant…dinner out with Daddy. I’d felt so grown up at sixteen. I’d been in a dress…he was in a suit. I was wearing Mom’s heels and her long dress coat. I felt special. We did this once a month without fail! We’d walk up the block together and then walk back with no issue…until that night.
More than Scars Page 30