The door swings closed behind me and for a moment I feel free. But then a hand clamps down on my shoulder. I recognize the pressure and look up into Michael’s eyes, colder than the bitter winter night.
“What were you doing in there, Ellie-bear?” he asks. “You know if you have any problems, you can always come to me.”
I don’t reply because he knows. He always knows.
I close my eyes, waiting for the image to disappear before continuing. “Driving back to our home, the tension in the car was thick… suffocating. He detailed every sick and twisted thing he was going to do to me for trying to leave him, for trying to ‘ruin his reputation’. I knew there was no chance in hell I would make it through whatever he had in store for me.”
Taking in a deep breath, my eyes focus on my scars, the very symbol of my survival. “He took me down to the basement,” I say. “It’s quiet down there, you see. And he took pleasure in every fist that landed on my body, every cut that sliced into my skin, and every scream that tore through my throat until it’d grown hoarse.”
I lift my head to stare down at the crowd, holding each horror-filled gaze steadily. “I didn’t even try to fight back. To this day, I don’t know why. Maybe because I knew he was stronger than me, or maybe because he had manipulated me to the point I thought I deserved it.”
I sigh. “He left after a few hours. I remember hearing him drive away and… I was alone and in pain in our basement for so long that I wished he would come back just to finish me off.” Closing my eyes, I’m taken back to the darkness. “Everything hurt… Just breathing sent fire through my throat and into my lungs. And all I wanted was to see my friends and family one last time. That’s all I wanted. Not to survive.”
The front door opens and closes. Footsteps thunder about upstairs. I let out an involuntary whimper, but don’t move from the pool of blood beneath me. But then:
“Ellie?!”
Mia.
“Ellie, where are you?!”
“Mia, over here…” Katie’s murmur floats down to me from beyond the basement door.
“Is that… blood…?”
The latch clicks. Light floods the staircase, falling just beyond where I lie. But they see me, and their screams bring me back to life.
“If Mia and Katie hadn’t found me when they did, I don’t think I would have survived.” Lifting my arms back up, I see my scars for what they really are; the scars of a fighter. “After hours of surgery, they were able to sew me back together and set my broken bones.”
I look around at the crowd. “By some miracle, I survived. And thanks to Mia’s brother, Dominic, he was able to use his connections with the military and have Michael arrested. After a trial, he was sent to prison.” Warmth fills my chest as I picture that stain-on-the-earth rotting in jail for the rest of his life.
“Once I was well enough to leave the hospital, I sold everything we had owned. I moved back to New York City to be closer to my family, friends, and my amazing therapist and physio. Without them, I don’t think I would have come as far as I have today. I owe them everything.”
A smile grows on my face as I remember the notebook and pen my therapist gave me, urging me to do what I loved the most. “My therapist suggested writing as an outlet to release everything I was feeling inside. If it wasn’t for her, I probably wouldn’t be where I am today; writing smutty, regency romance.”
A few chuckles ring across the room helping to diffuse the tension in the air.
“Once I put that pen to paper, it’s like pieces of my life started shuffling back into place, and after months of tweaking, revising and pretty much crying the entire time, I somehow managed to write my first, full-length novel.”
My heart fills with pride as the same proud, happiness washes through my veins. “When I finished that novel, I sat on my couch and cried until there was nothing left. It was probably the most cathartic, soul-changing thing I could have done. As a writer, you create these amazing characters that you bond with, love, and want the best for, and then you basically throw fireballs at them when things become too dry.”
I turn to find Mia with her hand covering her mouth as she watches me with pride and love, the feeling entirely mutual. “When I’d handed my manuscript over, I thought I was going to pass out, vomit, or have a heart attack. Or all three at the same time. But when Mia burst into my apartment later that day saying she loved it, I knew this was how I would heal. I knew one day I wouldn’t feel so broken, and so I kept going to write all of the incredible stories you know today.”
Wiping my cheeks with a satisfied smile forming on my lips, I take a deep breath and release it, enjoying the lighthearted feeling in my chest. “And that’s how I got to be where I am now, revealing myself to a bunch of men and women, wondering if I’m going to throw up or regret this later.”
I raise a knuckle to dab my eyes but am surprised to find no tears there to dry. I shake my head and lower my hand. “The truth is, I haven’t felt this free in a long time. So, I want to thank you all for taking the extra time today to just sit and listen to my story. I’m sorry this didn’t turn out like I’m sure you were expecting it to… it certainly didn’t for me.” I laugh, joined by a few people in the crowd.
“But I’m so grateful that you did. And please remember, you aren’t alone. No matter what you’re going through, or what you’ve gone through, there is a world of people out there ready to support you and help you rise above it all—including me. You just have to learn to ask for help.”
At that, Mia strides across the stage. Leaning down to give me a quick hug, she takes the microphone and straightens up.
“I know it’s quite late, and I want to thank you all for staying. We’re going to combine the next parts, so if you’d like to make your way to the dining hall, we’ll eat and try to get the signing done all in one go.”
The crowd slowly make their way from the room as I hop off the stage and grab my shoes. “I’m so proud of you.” Katie pops up behind me and hugs me fiercely.
My cheeks heat with embarrassment. “This definitely wasn’t how I pictured today going.”
“And are you okay with that?”
Am I okay with this? Picturing the faces of the crowd of readers who sat quietly listening to my story, has me nodding my head. “Yes. This is exactly how today was meant to play out.”
Hopping down from the stage, I lean against it to put my shoes on before following Mia and Katie into the dining hall. The next few hours blow by quickly between eating, signing books, and listening to the stories of my readers. The buzz and excitement my book is receiving humbles me.
Toward the end of the night, and as the final guests move to leave, Mia grabs my hand and pulls an envelope from her bag. “Okay, let’s go and see what your man has in store for you.”
As we exit the building and near Mia’s car, she throws Katie the keys, signaling for her to drive as we hop into the back seat. Opening the envelope, Mia pulls out a silky, black scarf which has a note attached to it.
Scanning it quickly, she throws it to me, before reading the rest of the instructions. “Tie that over your eyes.”
Taking the silk scarf from my lap, I run my fingers over the soft material before doing as I’m told, mumbling, “I hate not being able to see.”
“I know. But it will be worth it, I’m sure…” Mia’s knowing tone reignites the curiosity inside of me.
“Will you tell me where we’re going?”
“No. And we’re almost there, anyway.”
Humming, I think of all of the possible places that we could be heading, none of them making any sense. As the car slows down to a stop, Mia and Katie leave, then reappear by my door to help me out. Taking both of my hands between them, they lead me to God knows where.
A door creaks open and our footsteps go from crunching gravel to taps across a wooden floor. A familiar smell swirls around my nose. Where the hell are we?
We continue walking further into the room, the unrecognizable, b
ut familiar smell annoying the shit out of me.
“Alright, what I want you to do is take a step back, sit down, and shuffle a little.”
I frown under the blindfold. “What the fuck kind of directions are those?”
“My directions. Now sit.” Mia’s hands appear on my shoulders and gently apply pressure. I allow her to guide me back. My calves touch the front of a plush chair, and I eagerly sit down. I shuffle along it as instructed until my elbow hits something hard. The pain shoots up in tingles across my arm, the feeling only intensified by the darkness surrounding me. I hiss and rub the area.
“Why the fuck didn’t you warn me about that!?” I snap at the air around me.
“I didn’t think you’d try to flap your chicken arms and fly around the bench!”
Grinding my teeth, I hesitantly put my hands out and find a table. Grabbing onto it, I continue to shuffle around the bench, relaxing when Mia tells me to stop. “Okay. This is where we love you and leave you. Once you hear the speakers turn on, you can take the blind fold off. And Ellie? We want details. Lots of details.”
Mia and Katie giggle as they leave me alone in the darkness, the click of their heels fading away into nothing. Please don’t let this be a prank. Biting my lip, I wiggle in my seat, trying not to panic.
A crackling sound scares the shit out of me, before a song slowly fades into existence. Is this where I take the scarf off? Not sure what to do, I pull the scarf slowly up, the material resting on my forehead as I take in my surroundings. Stripper poles, a dance floor, and gorgeous red couches.
“Tonight we have a special show for one very lucky woman. Enjoy yourself, Eleanor Reid, as you feast upon the eyes of the one, the only—Man of Steel,” Nic’s voice cuts off as the stage curtains open to reveal lights shining on a figure concealed by the dark fabric of a trench coat. His face turns toward me, and I see a familiar pair of eyes beneath the shadow of a fedora.
“Holy shit…” My shock turns into laughter as Garrett struts forward, his hips swinging left and right. He flings off the coat in the same way I did during my performance. But how did he know? He wasn’t even there.
The curtains at the side of the stage rustle, and Claire’s familiar face pops out quickly to wave at me before disappearing once again. I giggle; how many people are in on this?
My eyes move back to Garrett’s sultry expressions and ridiculous hip grinds as he mimics my choreography. He rips off the hat, throwing it in my direction then spins around for me to see his ass, the thin black line of a thong disappearing into his crack. I cover my mouth. Oh my God.
Wrapping his arms around the pole, he performs a proper mount, my eyes opening wide with shock. How long has he been practicing for this? But then my shock turns to awe as he almost flawlessly pulls off my routine. Dropping to the floor after a dismount, he kneels against the pole, panting, his chest glistening with sweat.
As the music dies off and the lights brighten, he jumps off the stage and walks straight toward me. Close up, I’m surprised his junk hasn’t fallen out of the tiny G-string. Snickering, I let my eyes trail up his body, taking in every inch of hard, glistening muscle. Then my eyes meet his.
“I know that I fucked up, Ellie,” he starts. “I should have taken more care with you, and I’m so sorry for what happened. But I promise I will spend the rest of my days making it up to you, because you’re the one I want to spend the rest of my life with.
“I want to grow old with you. Have a family with you. Spend the rest of my life loving you the way that you should be loved. I’m sorry I was too stupid to realize that sooner.” Sliding into the seat next to me, he grabs my hands, holding them in his.
“All I’m asking is for a second chance to show you that you’re it for me. You’re my future.” His eyes plead with mine as they take in every inch of my face. “Will you be mine, Ellie?”
Without thinking, I leap into him, wrapping my arms around his neck. “Yes! God yes.”
His arms pull me tightly against his body. “Thank you,” he whispers.
Pulling away, I kiss him fiercely, our tongues entwining and our teeth gnashing together with the force of it.
“I hate to interrupt this ‘touching’ moment, but this is for you.” Nic hands over a USB which I take, shaking like a leaf.
“What is it?”
Looking sheepish, and with a pink tinge across his cheeks, Garrett looks to Nic before turning to me: “That is a copy of all of that,” he says, gesturing to the stage. “Consider it a fair exchange. You now have the power to ruin me in your hands.”
Looking down at the device in my hand, an overwhelming feeling pulses through me. He seriously recorded this so that I’d have collateral? Who does that?
But despite the absurdity of the proposition, love wells up inside of me and I laugh. Shaking my head, I hold it out in my hand. “I don’t need it. I don’t want your love if I have to blackmail you to get it.”
“I’ll take it!” The evil glint in Nic’s eyes as he moves to grab the USB from my fingers has me both amused and slightly worried. I close my hand over the device and pull my hand away from him.
“I think I’ll take it… For safe keeping.” Garrett quickly takes the USB from my fingers, moving to put it into his pocket only to realize he isn’t wearing pants… or anything for that matter. Sighing, he clutches the device in his fist. “I can’t believe I just did that. And in a thong. I don’t know what’s worse.”
Laughing, I hug Garrett to me. “Thank you. Now, let’s get out of here and I’ll show you how it’s really done. This time without clothes.”
Garrett’s mouth curves into a mischievous grin. Grabbing my hand, he drags me from the booth, throwing me over his shoulder as he runs toward the bar. I giggle as he jostles me up and down while grabbing his keys and wallet before running out of the building and toward his car.
Opening the door, he places me gently inside, before jogging around to the driver’s side and getting in.
“Where are we going? You’re dressed in a sparkly thong!” I laugh at the heat in his eyes.
“We’re going home.”
Leaning across the console, I kiss him gently on the mouth before looking into his eyes. “Then get moving.”
“Anything for you, Ellie.”
A grin pulls at my lips as I stare at the man next to me, sparkly thong and all. All I’ve ever wanted in life is to have a home—and I’ve found mine. As I hold his hand, I feel my broken heart fusing itself back together.
The End.
Next In the Book Boyfriend Series
Did you love Ellie and Garrett’s story? Then you’re definitely going to enjoy Nic and Katie’s in the next instalment of the Book Boyfriend series!
(Un) Chartered is now available for preorder!
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About the Author
Charlotte Daniels is an Australian born and bred author with a penchant for Asian food, lame jokes, and getting lost on her travels.
When she’s not writing heart-stopping romance, she can be found working, using her multiple degrees, and reading.
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Also by Charlotte Daniels
A Book Boyfriend Series
(Un) Broken: Book One
(Un) Chartered: Book Two
Anthologies
Sugar & Spice (found within the White Christmas Wishes: A Rom-Com Holiday Anthology)
Also By Charlie Daniels
Elemental Academy Series
The Celestial’s Chosen: Book One
Anthologies
A Caged Bird (found within Timeless Tales: A Mythological Anthology)
iels, (un) Broken
(un) Broken Page 24