by Low, JA
My stomach lurches, but I keep it down somehow. I gave her a key to my home, I paid her to help around the house to assist her between jobs. I didn’t realize it was her plan from the start to seduce my fiancé.
“Walker loved hosting parties when you were away. It wasn’t until I busted him getting blown by some football groupie that I finally had my chance.” She looks smugly. “You were out of town, so I thought, why not pop over. Poor Walker must be so lonely, but I was surprised to see he wasn’t sitting at home pining for you. Instead, he was living it up.”
I hate both of them so much. I knew Tracey wasn’t the only woman he fucked around with, but she’s just confirmed it for me.
“Curiosity got the better of me and I went inside. I looked everywhere for Walker but couldn’t find him. So, I went up to your bedroom and jackpot… there he was getting his dick sucked.” She bursts out laughing. “You should have seen his face when I busted him. He almost shat himself.”
She doubles over with laughter, she obviously thinks it’s so funny. Once she’s composed herself, she continues, “Tracey, Tracey, please don’t tell Chloe. It was a mistake. I’ll do anything to keep it between us,” she says in a deep voice mimicking Walker. “That was my in.”
She’s fucking sick.
Is she going to tell me she blackmailed him into sleeping with her?
“I told him we weren’t having the conversation there, and I opened the spare bedroom’s door and locked it behind me. I told him that I wasn’t going to tell you. That I understood, sometimes men need to relieve the tension, especially someone like him, who’s so filled with testosterone. He needed somewhere to let it off.” Tracey sadistically smiles at me. “He fell for it hook, line, and sinker,” she gloats.
“I told him that it wasn’t a good idea to hook up with random women at parties like this. That they could sell their stories to the press. He agreed. He was so worried you’d find out that he begged me to help him. Oh… and I did.”
She’s practically glowing telling me the story of how she seduced my fiancé.
Who the hell is this woman? I don’t know her anymore.
“I told him he needed to find someone he could trust, who had his best interests in mind. Who was discreet. He was practically foaming at the mouth to find out who this magical unicorn was. When I proposed it was me, he was shocked and a little taken aback. He hesitated. Thought maybe I was setting him up. I pulled out my phone and called you. Do you remember that conversation?”
Yeah. I do. Fucking bitch. We chatted for about five minutes about nothing much in particular.
“What you didn’t know was that as soon as you picked up the phone, his tongue was on my pussy eating me out. He was so desperate to keep the charade up that he didn’t even hesitate to get down on his knees and eat his fiancé’s best friend’s pussy while she was on the phone to his fiancée.”
I’ve never wanted to kill someone more in my life than I do right at this moment.
She is an evil, vindictive psychopath.
“Oh… does hearing that make you upset?” She grins. “Knowing that I had the power to make your fiancé do anything I wanted, when I wanted. Not like he was complaining. He loved it. He got off on it—the thrill of nearly getting caught. He especially liked it when I brought a friend. He couldn’t get enough of that. I gave him every single depraved fantasy he ever wanted. While you just laid there and fucked him like a fucking nun.”
Fuck her.
Fuck, I scream internally.
“I’m glad you fucked him. I’m glad you got what you wanted in the end. A man who wouldn’t hesitate to cheat on you because he cheated on you so many fucking times.” Tracey’s eyes widen. “You think once I was out of the picture that you were it for him?” Now it’s my turn to laugh. “Once a cheater, always a cheater,” I spit back at her.
I’m bullshitting. I have no idea if he’s cheated on her or not, but I suspect he has.
“Fuck you.” Tracey jumps off the counter and rushes at me with the gun.
As the metal butt slams across my cheek, she yells, “Fuck you. You always thought you were better than me.” She holds the gun to my face. I can feel a trickle of blood slowly falling from my nose down and over my lip. The strong iron taste hits my mouth.
“I never thought I was better than you.” Looking up at her, I say, “You were my fucking sister, Tracey. I loved you.”
Tracey shakes her head. “No, you didn’t,” she screams at me. “You took everything from me.”
What is she talking about?
“Every single guy I liked…” she waves the gun in the air, “… they wanted you. They always wanted you,” she spits at me. “Kyle, Jake, Coby… the list goes on.” She’s reciting my high school boyfriends. “I was good enough for them to fuck, but never good enough to be on their arm, to show off in public. That was always you.”
“High school was years ago.”
Why is she still harboring resentment about that?
“No,” she screams, her eyes wild with fury. “You did it again. You took away the man I loved. The father of my child,” Spittle hits my face as she yells at me. “You’re trying to destroy my family. Walker is mine.”
“I don’t want him. He’s all yours. I’m not trying to destroy your family. Bear is so gorgeous, you must be so proud.” Tracey’s face softens the tiniest bit at me bringing up her son. “He is. He loves his daddy.” Her voice is almost at a whisper. “Walker’s a great dad.”
“Good. I’m glad. You make a beautiful family.” Keep her talking about her child—that seems to be working. Tracey must forget herself for a moment, but the psycho comes back soon after, and the barrel of the gun is aimed right at me.
“Even when I’ve given Walker everything he could ever want, he still wants you.” Her eyes glare at me as her hand shakily holds the gun. “Even when I turn a blind eye to him fucking his football groupies, he still wants you.”
I shake my head. “No, he doesn’t. Walker wants to hurt me because I humiliated him. He just wants revenge. He doesn’t want me. He loves you. He wants you.” I’m trying to reassure her, but Tracey shakes her head, not believing me.
Then we hear a twig snap, and Tracey whirls around to where the sound came from.
“Baby girl.” Walker steps in from the beach as if he’s just finished surfing, and his voice is soft. “What are you doing, Tracey?”
Tracey’s stunned momentarily upon seeing Walker right in front of her.
“What are you doing?”
She shakes the gun at him, and he automatically holds up his hands. “Baby, I came for you. I thought you needed me. Seems like you’ve gotten yourself into a mess. I’ve come to help you.” He’s talking to her ever so softly as if his normal voice might spook her.
“You made me do it,” she tells him. “You couldn’t let her go. She’s not good for you, Walker.”
“Oh, baby girl. No… I don’t love her. I love you, baby.” Tracey’s face softens instantly at his words.
“But you said in that interview that she was yours.”
Walker starts laughing. “Oh, baby girl, I was trying to get under her new man’s skin. I wanted him to know that I was the one who had her first. He will always be second best to me. I was just being prideful, sweetheart.”
“But…” She doesn’t seem convinced.
“Baby, you know she could never satisfy me like you can,” he coos.
Not going to lie, his confession kind of stings.
These two are a pair of sick fucks.
“It was always you. Every night I would sneak to your cabin and fuck you instead of her. It was always you, baby.” He walks closer to her, trying not to spook her, I’m guessing. Another branch cracks, and she whirls around and points the gun at me.
“Baby, go check out what that sound is.” Tracey turns back to Walker and notices him reaching for one of the knives in the knife block. She hesitates, unsure of what he’s doing. “I’m going to have some fun first.” Tr
acey smiles and does as she’s told and rushes out of the room. Walker’s face changes as he rushes toward me. I scream, but he puts his hand over my mouth.
“I’m trying to fucking save you.”
My eyes widen at his words. He moves his hands away and starts slashing at the ropes, while nervously looking over my shoulder for Tracey. “I’m so sorry, Chlo. I had no idea she’s crazy,” he states while he attempts to hack through the ropes.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Tracey shouts.
“I’m letting her go, Trace. It’s not right what you’re doing. The police are here.”
Tracey lets out a primal scream as a boom goes off behind me. Something breezes past me, and I watch in slow motion as Walker stumbles back a couple of steps clutching his side. Seeing the crimson red stain on his shirt, I scream. Another loud boom erupts, and Walker clutches his lower half, he’s screaming out in pain as the bullet goes through his thigh. I’m struggling to get free, feeling like a sitting duck stuck in this chair.
“Freeze. Police.” The request echoes through the room. “Miss, no. Miss, put the gun down.” I wiggle in my chair, not knowing if my time on earth is up. Then the sound of the gun going off again silences the room.
“Fuck,” a male voice screams. “We need medical backup. Now,” the man shouts. “One woman with self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, and one male victim with two gunshot wounds.”
“What about her,” someone asks, and that’s when I see the heroic faces of the police officers. “Ma’am, are you okay?” he asks, seeing me sitting in my seat.
I just simply nod my head.
“A woman victim with a suspected broken nose and shock.” He radios the details in, then finally helps me out of my restraints. I cling onto him, my legs not feeling up to the task.
“You’re safe now,” he tries to reassure me.
Then Walker screams out in agony, and I rush over to where he’s lying.
“Hey…” With small strokes, I touch his face, trying to calm him down as he must be in incredible pain. “You saved my life.” As much as I hate him for what he’s put me through, he took bullets for me, so I owe him something.
“Fuck.” He rolls around in pain. “You good.”
I nod my head. “Yeah.”
“She’s arresting. She’s arresting,” someone screams, and people rush behind us.
Then I realize it’s Tracey they’re talking about.
“Ma’am. Don’t” A police officer holds me back.
The sound of sirens filter through the all the commotion. Someone wraps a foil-like blanket around my shoulders and ushers me away. As I walk past, I see the pool of blood coming from Tracey’s lifeless body.
Tears fall for the person I used to know, for her son who she won’t ever watch grow into a man. For her mom. For the stigma of what Tracey did today and for the loss of her child.
But, I’m not sorry that the monster who took over Tracey is now gone. Because it could have so easily been me lying lifeless in a pool of blood.
38
Noah
We arrive at the address, there are police and ambulances lined up in the street. They have roped off the area. Just as we step up to the police tape, we see a body being taken from the house.
No. No. I’m too late. No.
I stumble as I get closer.
“Sir, this man’s partner is the woman who was kidnapped. He needs to see her,” Emma states.
The policeman radios ahead.
“Only immediate family,” the police officer adds.
“That’s me,” EJ shouts. “I’m her brother, and this is her fiancé.” He places his hand on my shoulder.
“Just you two then.” They tell us to go, and we rush toward the chaos.
“Chloe, Chloe,” I scream at the top of my lungs.
Please be safe, please be safe.
“She’s over there.” A policewoman points to the open doors of the ambulance. A figure wrapped in a foil blanket is holding hands with someone screaming on a stretcher. I see her blonde hair peeking out from the top of her blanket.
“Chloe,” I scream as my jelly-like legs try and help propel my body forward.
She turns her head, and I see her bloodied face. “Noah.” Her eyes light up seeing me. “Noah…” She jumps out of the ambulance and begins to run toward me. We meet halfway, and I wrap her in my arms. I’ve never felt such relief as I do right now. We’re both sobbing as I wrap my arms tightly around her.
“I thought I was never going to see you again.”
“Me, too,” she confesses. “It was close, Noah. It was so close, too close.” She bursts into tears.
“You’re safe.” EJ rushes over.
Chloe lets go of me to rush to her brother.
“Fuck, little one. You gave us a scare.” He looks down at his bruised and battered sister. Chloe reaches back out to me, pulling me to her side.
“Walker saved me.” She turns looking over at the man on the stretcher, and my stomach fills with acid. “He took a bullet. Actually, he took two for me.” Chloe looks up at me. “He tried to free me, Noah.”
I hate that fucker so much, but right now, I can’t thank him enough for saving my girl.
“I can’t leave him, he needs me.” Her words are like a sucker punch to my chest.
What in the hell?
“Miss…” the paramedic interrupts, “… he’s out of it now. They will be taking him straight into surgery. He’s safe,” she reassures Chloe. “We’re ready to take you, though,” she says while opening the ambulance doors for her.
“You sure he’s okay?” Hesitating, Chloe asks again.
Calm down Noah, she’s been through a traumatic experience. Now is not the time for your jealousy.
The paramedic nods. “Okay.” Taking the paramedics hands and jumping into the ambulance, another medic tells her to lie on the stretcher so she can check her over.
“I’m coming with you,” I tell her.
“Me, too,” EJ adds.
“Fine.” The paramedics think it over for a couple of moments while we bundle ourselves into the back and both take a seat beside her. We sit silently while the paramedics look her over, checking her out.
“Are you in any pain, miss?”
“Just my nose.”
“What happened?”
“She hit me in the face with the butt of the gun.”
EJ and I both suck in a shaky breath hearing her words.
“Anything else happen? That we should know about.”
Chloe’s silent for a couple of beats as she thinks it over. “I’m not sure what I was given at the bar, but it was some kind of drug.” The paramedic writes down this information. “And I’m not sure when, but when I was locked up in the basement, she put something in the room, and I passed out.”
Far out.
* * *
“Why can’t I see her?” Frantically I’m pacing in the hospital waiting room.
“They’re checking her over, and the police have questions.” Logan tries to calm me down.
“I should be with her.” Panic grips it’s talons into my skin and starts to tear me apart being so far away from her.
“I know. But they’re just doing their job,” Logan advises me. Everyone’s in the waiting room. We haven’t slept in God only knows how long.
“Team.” The detective walks out of her room. “Great outcome.” He smiles. “She seems to be holding up well.”
“I need to see her.”
He nods his head. “You will in a moment, we’re just finishing up our questions.” Putting his notepad back into his pocket. “My officers tell me Tracey committed suicide when they surrounded her after she shot Mr. Randoff, twice.”
“Did she see it?” The detective shakes his head.
“Thankfully, she did not witness it. But she did see Mr. Randoff get shot which seems to have upset her.”
“She said he saved her,” I add.
“When he’s out of surgery, I will get
his side of the story. But yes, that’s what Miss Jones is saying.”
“Is he going to survive?”
“Yes, Mr. Stone, he will, but I think his football career is over.”
Wow! That’s not going to go down well. Tracey really did fuck up everyone’s lives.
“And what about Ciara and her part in all this?” She’s the one who set this in motion.
“As that is an ongoing matter, I can’t discuss that investigation further with you at this time. But thank you for your help in finding what we need to take it to court.” Guess that’s good news. “Mr. Stone, you’re free to go in, but one at a time,” he tells the others in the waiting room.
“Go,” EJ tells me. “She’s safe now. I can wait.”
I rush into Chloe’s hospital room.
“She’s sleeping,” the nurse tells me.
“But she’s okay?” She gives me a warm smile and nods.
“Thankfully her nose isn’t broken just badly bruised. We’ve taken some samples of her blood to test for toxins to work out what they drugged her with. She’ll be happy to see you when she wakes.”
I must fall asleep at some point and wake up to fingers in my hair.
“Hey,” she says.
Looking up, all I can see is her bruised face.
“Hey,” she says again, groggily.
“I was so scared, Chlo.”
Tears begin to fall down her cheeks. “I didn’t think I would ever see you again,” she tells me. “But I wasn’t ready to go, not when I’d only just found you.”
“I’m sorry I wasn’t here for you. I’m sorry I didn’t fight harder about security. I should have pushed you harder. I won’t make that mistake again.”
Chloe shushes me. “This is not your fault, do you hear me?” She’s adamant, I can tell. “Tracey was a very sick woman. She would have found a way.” Giving me a small smile, she says, “I can’t believe she’s dead.”