by K. A Knight
Gripping the edge of the wood, a pained noise leaves my throat as Randy laughs and jokes behind me, teasing Reggie. I drag myself up, and just as I get my fingertips on the bowl, I hear him step closer.
“Where do you think you’re going?” he taunts and flips me over.
He grins as he crouches over me, his jeans unbuttoned, and I grip the bowl tighter above my head. “Fuck you, you piece of shit, I wouldn’t fuck you if you were the last man on Earth!” I yell, before smashing the bowl into the side of his head.
His eyes widen, his lips opening as he falls sideways. I scramble out from under him as Reggie swears and tries to grab me, but I kick him in the balls and slip past him, racing upstairs, my breathing sawing out of my chest as I hear them both groaning below.
I race across the hallway on light steps, wondering where I should hide. I spot the cubby-hole at the last second and open the tiny cupboard, forcing myself in. It’s a squash and pulls on my ribs, but I swallow back my groan of pain and shut the door lightly just as I hear thundering footsteps booming up the stairs. They stop then and slowly walk down the hall, I hear him opening doors and breathing hard.
Covering my mouth, I close my eyes and shallow my breathing as much as I can. He heads farther away. I hear him tossing things and rummaging through my bedroom, looking for me before heading back down the hall to my mum’s room. It only takes ten minutes or so, but it’s the longest ten minutes of my life before he stomps back down the stairs.
“I can’t fucking find her!” Reggie yells.
“Screw this,” Randy shouts, and I hear a scream before a slap sounds, followed by a feminine whimper. Mum. Shit.
“Scarlett, come out, come out wherever you are! We have Mummy here, and if you don’t, we’ll kill her!” he bellows.
Opening the door slightly, I peek out, but when I see no one, I slip out and slide across the wall, peering around the corner and down the stairs.
Randy has her positioned partially in front of him, the knife at her throat as he looks up the darkened staircase. I duck, thinking he can see me, but he doesn’t react, so he obviously can’t. Mum’s eyes are wide and Randy yanks down her gag.
“Call your daughter,” he orders.
“Get back here!” she screams, then looks at Randy. “Please, just take her and leave me alone, or I’m sure we can make a deal for my life. You could have her and me?” she suggests desperately, rubbing herself back against him and making me cringe, even under the circumstances.
“Wow, no wonder you turned out such a cock tease,” Randy comments and laughs, digging the blade in farther and making my mum still. “No thanks, love. I’ll have your daughter though. Come out, come out to play!” he yells gleefully.
Ducking back around the corner, my eyes go to my bedroom and the window there. I could escape, rush to Max’s where I know I would be safe…but I know they will kill her. Indecision wars in me, and when she shrieks, I almost berate myself as I step out from behind the wall onto the top of the stairs—decision made. She might be okay with them hurting and killing me, she might be able to live with that…but I can’t live with them doing the same to her.
“There she is!” Randy cheers, and pushes my mum over to Reggie, who grabs her and twists her to face the front again, with the knife to her throat as Randy starts up the stairs. “Like your style, hot stuff, already going for the bedroom, are you?”
I cringe back, but at least if it’s only Randy, I can try and take him. He gets halfway up when commotion breaks out downstairs. We both turn to look as my mum gets away from Reggie and starts to race for the front door, but he grabs her and they both freeze until she topples sideways, and I see the knife sticking out of her stomach.
She falls to her knees, her mouth opening and closing, her eyes going to the blade as she tries to pull it from her belly. Gasping, I cover my mouth as I watch her stumbling, blood pumping steadily from the wound as Reggie turns to us. “She was trying to fucking run, you saw that!”
“Goddamn it!” Randy yells, and races back downstairs, but I’m frozen on the spot, staring at my mother who’s struggling on her knees.
“This is fucked up! What are you going to do? Oh God, you’re crazy, they’re going to lock us up! We were just supposed to scare her!” Reggie screams, like Randy was the one who just stabbed her and not him, and I slink back, hiding as I watch them.
“Shut the fuck up and let me think!” Randy shouts, pacing and clutching his head before he stops and grins suddenly. “Yes, that’s it! Okay, my dad can fix this, he has connections and money, but we can’t have any witnesses. We’re going to have to kill her.” He nods like that’s a rational conclusion to come to.
Reggie lurches, suddenly pale, and backs away. “No, no, God, I should have never come with you.”
But Randy grabs him, holding his head hard. “Don’t you fucking back out on me now or I’ll frame you for this. I’ll call in some friends, we’ll hunt the stupid cunt down. I’ll have my fun and kill her. Simple. Either you’re with me or you’re against me…think carefully,” he orders.
Reggie swallows. “With—” He gasps, gulping before trying again. “With you.”
Randy laughs, steps back, and releases him. “Good choice. Now, let’s kill this bitch.” He looks up at me then, spotting me still half frozen at the top of the stairs, watching as my mum topples to the side and stops moving, blood pooling around her.
When our eyes clash, I let out a scream and race down the corridor, knowing there’s no way she could survive that wound. He thunders after me as I slam into my room, trying to shove the door closed. He manages to get an arm through the gap and starts to wrench it open. Throwing my body weight into it, I try to keep it closed, slamming his arm between the door and the frame. He howls and falls back, letting me shut the door.
Panting, I move away to flip the lock, but it smashes inwards and a furious looking Randy is standing there. “Miss me, hot stuff?” He grins, kicking the door shut behind him and flipping the lock as I back away, heading to the window.
I dart left and he follows, laughing as I move right again, copying my movements, and I scream, “Leave me alone!”
“Not a chance in hell.”
He rushes me then, picking me up and throwing me onto the desk. My already bruised ribs hit the edge of the wood painfully, making me scream again as my hands scramble over the desktop. He grabs my ass and yanks it into the air as his other hand shoves down my jeans. My fingers make contact with something hard, so I grab it in my palm, and with all my weight, shove it back towards him with a yell.
He screams and falls away from me. I turn, panting, to see a pencil sticking out of his eye. His hands flutter around it as he screams wordlessly. Fuck this. Ducking past him, I run to the window, throw it open, and look at the two-story drop. Getting one leg over the ledge, I glance back to see him slowly pulling the pencil from his eye with a wet sound, making me gag. Throwing my other leg out, I sit on the ledge as I hear him swear behind me.
Shit, shit, shit.
I hurl myself forward. For one minute, I’m weightless, and then I smash into the ground below. I remember to roll at the last minute, but pain still races up my ankle. Ignoring it, I get to my feet and burst into a run, my ankle twinging each time it meets the ground.
“Reggie, get her!” he screams behind me, but I don’t bother turning to look, that’s a basic bitch move. “You can’t get away from us!” he yells after me, as I smash into the fence that separates our house from Max’s. Rolling over the top, I hit the ground hard but get straight back up, and stumble to his front door, smashing my fist into it again and again, my eyes darting to the side to see Reggie coming out my front door.
Shit, shit! The sound of heavy metal reaches me, and I just know Max has it so loud he can’t hear me while he works out. Then I remember, praying he hasn’t changed it, and I open the door, knowing he keeps it unlocked for Milo to sneak in and out. Once inside, I slam the door and press my sweaty, bloody palm to the scanner. It
flashes red so I wipe it on my jeans.
“Come on, come on,” I chant, hoping it works this time.
It flashes green and I hear the lock click into place. Backing away from the door, I hear someone throw themselves against it, making me jump and scream.
“Baby?” comes a concerned voice behind me and I spin, a sob escaping my throat when I see a sweaty, confused Max at the top of the basement stairs.
Another bang sounds from behind me and he looks me over before staring at the door. Asking no more questions, fury morphs his face, and he orders, “Get downstairs, now!”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Maximus
I take one look at Scarlett and panic races through me, followed by anger so intense, I see red. What the fuck happened?
I want to scream the question at her, but instead, I scoop her up in my arms when she tries to step forward and her leg gives way. Cradling her against me, I take the steps downstairs two at a time, letting her cry and shake as I head to the safe room. I scan my hand, the door unseals with a hiss, and I stride inside, gently setting her on the chair there. She grabs at my chest as I try to move away, and I cup her hands.
“I just need to seal the house, baby, hold on,” I say as softly as I can, but the terrified look in her eyes has me growling, leaning down, and kissing her hard. “Trust me,” I beg, and she nods slowly. Backing away, I turn to face the controls, feeling her eyes focused on me the whole time. My mind is racing a mile a minute as I lock the house from the panic room. I hear Milo come in behind us, somehow managing to get down the stairs, obviously drawn by her cries, and when I glance back, he’s on her knee and she has her face buried in his fur.
“How many were there?” I ask, knowing she’s been attacked.
“Two, they followed me. I managed to stab one in the eye, but he won’t be far behind. Max, he’s crazy, and he was going on about ringing more people. They want me dead so they can bury the truth,” she rushes out, the words tumbling together while she shakes badly.
Growling under my breath, I bring up the cameras outside my house, glancing over them before moving back to her, while keeping one eye on the screens at all times. Two, I can manage two, but I need more information.
“Scarlett, look at me,” I demand harshly, noticing her beginning to fade into her own mind. Shock, no doubt. She blinks slowly, her eyes focusing on my face. “That’s it, baby, stay with me just a little longer. I need to know everything.”
“They’re dead, Max, they’re dead,” she whispers, and I freeze.
“Who is?” I demand.
“Mum and Jeff,” she murmurs, and I let out a breath.
“I’m sorry, baby, I really am, but we don’t have a lot of time and I still need to bind your wounds, so why don’t you tell me what happened while I do?” I offer and she nods, her hands digging into Milo’s fur.
I look at the dog and jerk my head. He hops down, but when Scarlett lets out a whine, he drops his nose on her hand to let her know he’s still there and she settles slightly.
Lifting her leg first, I slowly pull up the jeans, letting her deal with her thoughts in silence for a moment. I turn it around slightly, stroking her soft skin and hissing when I see what looks like bleeding teeth marks on her calf. She winces when I move her leg and I look up.
“Landed on my ankle,” she whispers, and I nod.
I stand and open the medical kits I keep down here. I clean the bite wound and stop the bleeding before dressing it, and then break the ice pack and tie it to her ankle before propping it up. All the while, she watches me quietly, only opening her mouth to speak when I look up and meet her eyes.
“It was Randy and Reggie, they were there when I got home from work. Mum and the perv, Jeff, were tied up on the settee. They made me play truth or dare after stabbing him. I played along, trying to get free, and I managed to get upstairs, but they used my mum as a hostage. I was going back to stop them from hurting her when Reggie stabbed her. I managed to get to my room, but Randy followed me. I stabbed him and jumped from the window and raced here,” she finishes, sucking in air.
Grinding my teeth, I force my fury back so as not to scare her. It takes a few moments before I move closer, lifting her shirt when she nods. Bruises are already peppering her side and chest, and she’s holding her arm at a strange angle. “What happened here?” My voice sounds strange, even to me, but it’s the best I can manage when rage is controlling my body.
“He hit me and I slammed into the wall, I think, and the floor. I don’t think they’re broken, just cracked, but I think my shoulder is dislocated.” With each sentence, her strength is returning, and her eyes are coming alive again, which is good.
I get up and examine her shoulder—she’s right, it’s dislocated. “Okay, baby, I need to pop this back into place, I’ve done this before, if you’ll let me?”
She nods. “I trust you,” she whispers, and I offer her a smile before touching her wrist, slowly bringing her arm up. She hisses, but then clamps her mouth shut. The tears in her eyes make me want to kill everyone just to stop them. I cautiously pop it back in, but I can’t stop the pain, and she bites down on her lip, a small scream escaping that will forever be etched into my heart.
Then I bind her ribs, explaining to her what I’m doing at every step, trying to distract her from the pain, and then I pass her some tablets and water and she takes them from me as I sit back on my haunches and watch her. “Baby…anything else?” I inquire, not able to force the words from my heart.
I’m so mad at myself. I was right here while she was next door being hurt. I can’t forgive myself for that, but I can help her now, so I focus on that and not my self-hatred.
“No, Randy, he tried to, but I fought him off.” She sniffs then. “Max, he kissed me. Fuck, I had to pretend it was you, but I had to because he was going to hurt them,” she whispers, looking away.
Frowning, I reach up and run my thumb over her slightly red bottom lip. “You did what you had to, to survive, babe, don’t you ever be embarrassed by that.”
“I can still taste him.” The whisper is pulled from deep within her, her eyes scrunching together, and it gut punches me. Her eyes open then, the watery blue depths locking on me desperately. “Make it go away, please, Max,” she begs.
“Scarlett…” I start, but she grabs my hands, holding them.
“I need you to, I can’t…I can’t have the feel of his lips on me anymore. Make it better.”
She should never have to beg for anything, so I lean forward, cup her reddened cheek softly, and guide her to me, kissing her gently, but she tries to deepen it, her teeth nipping at my lip and her tongue stroking along the seam of my mouth. She lets out a needy moan and I permit her to deepen the kiss, leaving her in charge as she sucks on my tongue, the kiss hard and desperate.
A groan slips out and she gasps into my mouth, her hands gripping my face and holding me to her, but I pull back, kissing her softly, and move away from her grasp, my mind on the screens behind me as much as it’s on her. Her eyes are still closed, and a few tears drip down her cheeks, so I wipe them away before kissing each closed lid. “I’m here, baby, you aren’t alone anymore,” I whisper, and she shivers, her lip trembling and decimating my control as I growl, “Tell me what to do.”
“Don’t ever leave me,” she begs, her wet, black lashes fluttering open and her eyes locking on me, sending my heart slamming into my chest.
“Never. You’re stuck with me forever,” I promise, and she nods, settling back and stroking Milo. I place another kiss on her forehead and move back to the screens.
“What are they doing?” she questions.
“Not much, just waiting outside.” I narrow my eyes, trying to predict what they could do. “I’m betting they’re waiting for backup, like you said,” I murmur, switching between cameras before grabbing my phone and dialling Keanu.
“What?” he snaps.
“My house is under attack, no backup needed, but I’m going to need clean-up and
Falk out to help, definitely some trails deleted and people bribed,” I snarl.
“Sounds fun. I’ll get on it and block any cop calls. Need a hand?” he offers, already typing, and I smirk.
“No, these bastards are mine, keep the channels clear,” I finish, before hanging up.
“Who are you?” she asks behind me, making me freeze and blow out a breath as I brace myself on the table.
“Max, still Max,” I reply, before turning to her. “You always knew there was more than that, baby.”
She nods. “I didn’t know what that more was though,” she admits.
“I help people, that’s all, I use my skills from special ops, ones that will keep you safe now,” I tell her.
“Okay,” she agrees.
“Okay?” I repeat.
“Okay,” she confirms, a hint of a smile on her lips. “Like I said, I trust you.”
It staggers me, but I hide it before turning back to the screens and watching as lights hit my driveway. Two trucks stop outside and seven men pour out. They are older than those two punks, and the way they carry themselves is professional. I’m betting bodyguards or muscle for hire. Maybe both. I see at least four of them packing. I note it all down in one glance as they hook up a lock breaker to my front door.
They fucked up, they came after my girl, and now they’re attacking the place I made my command center. They don’t stand a chance.
“What are you doing?” she queries.
“They are going to get in,” I admit. “I’m going to let them, and then I’m going to hunt them down and kill them one by one for hurting you. You will stay locked in here. Baby, look at me, they won’t hurt you again, I promise. Milo will stay with you,” I vow, before getting to my feet and heading to the vault, typing in her birthday, and opening it. I grab guns and knives and place them on my body before turning to her.
“Please, please, stay,” she begs, so I head back over and kneel in front of her.
“I’ll be back, I promise. Watch on the cameras, okay?” I reply tenderly, and she nods. Leaning closer, I kiss her softly. “I should have told you this before, but I love you, Scarlett, so don’t ever doubt I won’t protect what’s mine. And you are mine, so stay here and stay safe. I’ll always come back for you. This isn’t a tragedy, baby, this is our fucking love story, and we don’t get no unhappy endings.” I kiss her again and pull away, striding to the door as she lets out a cry.