“Brandon? Why are you sitting in the dark?”
He didn’t move a muscle as she moved towards the light switch on the wall. She turned around and noticed his service weapon on the coffee table. Her eyes bulged and every cell in her body became coated in fear.
“Brandon… why is your…” Ava swallowed hard, trying to regain her composure. “Why is your gun on the table?”
“It’s over.” He held his head down low, shaking it from side-to-side.
“What’s over?” She moved her eyes around the room looking for evidence of him drinking. There wasn’t a single empty beer bottle in sight.
“I left work and drove to my house. I needed to check on something I’d been working on. I went into the shed…” For the first time, he looked her directly in the eyes. “I believe you know what I found next.”
Ava’s eyelid fluttered. “What are you talking about?”
“Let’s not play games with each other.” He stared her down like a suspect in an interrogation.
She glanced at the gun sitting between them. She had to keep her cool and make sure he kept his. “Brandon, I’m not playing games with you. I honestly don’t know what you’re talking about.”
His upper lip curled, and his nostrils flared. “Don’t lie to me!” he yelled. “What did you do, Ava?”
Her lips trembled as she wiped the tear falling down her cheek. “I found Justin and let him go.”
“Why would you do that? After everything I’ve done for you, and you let him go!” He slammed his fist onto the table.
She realized the conversation would quickly turn into her defending her actions. She had to play to his ego and get him to confess. “If I hadn’t, then it would become a secret waiting in the wings to destroy us.”
“It’s over. It’s only a matter of time before everyone knows what I’ve done.”
She sat beside him. Placing her purse on the table, blocking the view of the gun. “Justin is long gone. I made it clear to him I only want to be with you. But, just in case he goes to the police, you must be honest with me. You need to tell me how he ended up in that bunker. The only way I can help is if you tell me everything.”
His almond-shaped eyes became filled with tears. “I love you so much. I would do anything to hold on to you.”
“What did you do, Brandon?”
“You deserved better than him. He’s a self-righteous asshole who couldn’t possibly give you what you needed.”
“Forget about Justin!” She snapped. “Tell me what you did?” Her fear had now de-escalated into more of an agitation.
“Once you know, I’m sure I’ll lose you.” He wiped his eyes.
“Do you see me running out the door?”
He turned his body towards her and cupped her face. She froze as he placed his lips on hers. “I don’t want to lose you.”
“Tell me what happened, Brandon.”
He dropped his hands to his side and lowered his gaze. “I didn’t plan to go to Scott’s party. I knew you had moved on, and I didn’t want to witness you cozying up with another guy. I drunk way too much and drove over to Scott’s anyway. Once I saw you with him, something inside me woke. I felt all you needed was more time to realize it’s you and I who belong together.”
“Okay, so how did you make that happen?”
“I followed him. I became acquainted with his habits and daily routine. I performed a background check on him, and that’s when I learned of his connection to Phillip Ramsey. They’re both scum, Ava! He claims he didn’t know what that piece of shit did to you, but he’s lying.”
“When I found Justin, he was covered in bruises. Was that your doing?”
He shook his head. “He deserved every blow I delivered. He tried to fight back, but he’s no match for me. I snatched that asshole right out of his home and threw him into a bottomless pit.”
She had more questions about the night he kidnapped Justin, but she had to ensure he confessed to everything. He already acknowledged kidnapping and assaulting Justin,and holding him prisoner. She had to direct his confession to the murder of Phillip Ramsey.
Brandon stood and flipped on the lights in the kitchen. She followed him and watched him from the entryway. He guzzled his beer and set the bottle down on the counter. “Is that all you’ve done, Brandon? Is there anything else I need to protect you from?”
“I can’t tell you the rest.”
“No secrets, remember?”
He brought the beer bottle to his lips and after three additional swallows, he proceeded. “I followed him to his vacant property near the lake. He wasn’t alone, he was with a trashy blonde. They appeared too cozy for my liking, and that’s when I made my move. After the girl left, I exited my vehicle to confront him for cheating on you. I was close enough to hear him on the phone. He asked someone to meet him. So, before he noticed me, I returned to my car to wait it out. Justin left, and five minutes later, Phillip Ramsey arrived. It was like divine intervention, Ava. Without a second thought, I approached him from behind and shot him twice in the back of the head.”
Ava supported her body against the wall as she stood frozen in shock. Her eyes watered as she listened to the man she once loved actually admit to murder. He spoke devoid of any emotion like it was an everyday occurrence. Perhaps it was years as a homicide detective that has caused him to become numb to the idea of death. Still, it should be different when it’s caused by your own hands.
“How did they fail to connect your gun to the murder?”
He smirked as he jutted his chin. “It wasn’t my gun. We confiscated a shit load of weapons from a gangbanger a few weeks back. I slipped one in my bag.”
“Wait. When you followed Justin, you didn’t know he would call Phillip to meet. So, why did you bring a stolen gun from the department? What did you plan to do?”
“You’re right. I didn’t know Phillip would be there. Justin is a lucky son of a bitch, because if Phillip hadn’t shown up…”
“What, Brandon? If Phillip hadn’t shown up, what were you going to do?”
He moved closer to Ava and grabbed her hands. She trembled at his touch. He leaned forward and whispered in her ear. “Kill the bastard.”
Ava jerked her hands from his grasp. Heat flushed throughout her body as it tensed in anger. The person before her was no longer any resemblance to the man who she once cared for. The upstanding, reliable, loving person he used to be no longer exist. Instead, he had been replaced with a stranger. A monster. He stared into her eyes. She was sure he could detect the fury glaring back at him.
“What did you say?” she asked.
“You heard right. I would’ve killed the bastard, and I would’ve done it all for you.”
“I never wanted anyone to die, Brandon!”
“It doesn’t matter. I’m putting an end to this.” He brushed past her.
“What do you mean?” She followed him into the living room where he ceased his motion and bent over the coffee table. He turned to face her with the gun pointed in her direction. Ava stood paralyzed with her eyes wide with terror. “Brandon, what… are…”
“It’s all over. My career, life, it’s all gone.”
Her heart raced, her muscles tensed, and a tightness developed in her chest like she couldn’t breathe. She looked over her shoulder, expecting Scott to barge in with the entire police force. But she was on her own. She only hoped he knew she was now in extreme danger. “I told you I’ll help you. Just put the gun down.”
He tightened his grip on the gun. “I’ve lost everything, including my career. It’s over, and I won’t let him have you.”
She slowly backed up hoping to reach the door before he could pull the trigger. “Brandon, please don’t do this.” Her voice almost a whisper.
“Do you know why I went to my house today?”
She shook her head.
“To end him, except he wasn’t there.” He cocked his gun. “You should have never let him go. I’m sure by now, he’s gone to the poli
ce.”
“I did it for us.”
“I’m sorry.” Tears fell from his eyes. “I can’t let him win even if that means taking you with me.”
Her bottom lip trembled as the muscles in her face gave way to a heart pouring cry. “Please don’t do this,” she shook her head and begged. Just as she closed her eyes to brace herself for the inevitable, the sound of someone barging through the door shot her eyes open. She felt hands from behind push her down to the floor and then a gunshot rung out. She looked up just as Justin knocked over the coffee table and charged towards Brandon. They both fell back onto the sofa. Justin punched Brandon in his face, causing him to drop his gun onto the floor. Ava jumped to her feet and kicked the gun to the far side of the room. She turned around and Brandon was now laid flat with Justin on top of him landing blow after blow to Brandon’s face. Before Ava could react, Scott and Trevor rushed through the door. Relieved. She dropped to her knees with her hands covering her face. She released more tears. This time it was tears of relief the nightmare had finally ended. The voices of everyone in the room had faded into an indistinguishable murmur as her own internal thoughts flooded her mind. She silently thanked God she was okay and had lived to see another day. She lifted her head to wipe her eyes. A hand squeezed her shoulder, she looked up right at Justin. She jumped to her feet and into his arms. He slowly squeezed her into a tight embrace and kiss her forehead. “Are you okay?” he asked.
“I am now.”
“Hey guys,” Scott interrupted. “Trevor has Brandon in the back of the car. We need to get you both down to the station.”
She removed herself from Justin’s embrace. “Can you give us a moment? I need to speak to Justin. I promise to make it quick.”
“Sure, five minutes. And Ava…”
“Yes.”
“You did good.” He patted her shoulder before exiting.
“How did you know I was here?” she asked.
“I texted Scott to ask about the investigation. That’s when he said you were trying to get a confession out of Brandon. I knew how dangerous that would be. Meghan gave me the keys to her car, and I raced over here.”
“If you walked in a second later…”
“Don’t think about that. What’s important is I got here just in time.”
“He confessed to it all, Justin. It’s finally over.”
He put his arms around her. “Let’s make sure he never sees the light of day.”
Chapter Thirty-nine
Ava and Justin spent hours at the police station. The police arrested and booked Brandon into the county jail. Chief Richards thanked Ava for her cooperation and had all charges against Justin dropped. It saddened him by what Brandon had become and promised they would prosecute him to the fullest extent of the law.
It was past midnight by the time she and Justin made it to Meghan’s house. She followed him there so he could return her car.
“What a night you had,” said Meghan. They were all seated in her living room.
“I could never imagine in a million years that Brandon would spiral so far out of control.” Her hands trembled as she massaged her temples. “He was moments away from killing himself and me.”
“I’m happy Justin arrived in the nick of time.”
Ava glanced at him and managed a smile. “You should have seen him. He burst through the door like Rambo.”
They all laughed.
“So, what happens now?” asked Meghan.
“Brandon goes to prison, and Ava and I go on with our lives,” said Justin.
“Hopefully, together.” Meghan rubbed her hands together like a child who hoped their divorced parents would reunite.
“We have a lot to talk about,” said Justin. “It’s late, and I’m eager to sleep in my own bed. No offense, Meg.”
“None taken.” She smiled. “I was happy to help.”
“And I will repay you for everything you’ve done,” he said.
“That’s not necessary, Justin. Ava is like a big sister, and I would do anything to help her.”
“Speaking of helping me,” said Ava. “I have no home for the next few days. The police have officially declared it a crime scene. So, Meghan, if you don’t mind another roommate.”
Justin reached for Ava’s hand. “You’re coming home with me.”
Ava smiled. “I am?”
“Yes, you are, and I won’t take no for an answer.”
∞∞∞
Ava woke with a smile on her face and wrapped in Justin’s arms. She turned over and found him sleeping shirtless on his back. She stared at his face that had begun to heal. She traced the hint of bruising around his eye with her finger. It caused him to stir and open his eyes. Ava met his gaze with a smile. “You weren’t asleep, were you?”
He stretched his arms above his head. “I woke about an hour ago. I didn’t want to disturb you. How did you sleep?”
“Surprisingly, it’s the best night I’ve had in a long time,” she said.
“Considering all that went down last night, I understand how you feel.”
“When this all started, I couldn’t sleep because I didn’t know what happened to you, then it was the police investigation, then Brandon.”
“It’s been a helluva two months.” Justin propped himself against a pillow. “We both need to resume some sort of normalcy. I’ll begin with a stop at the office to speak with Becky.”
“No. A doctor’s visit is at the top of the list. You might have injuries from last night or before.”
“That’s second on my list.”
“Good.”
“What’s on your to-do list?” he asked.
Ava frowned and toss the comforter aside as she slipped out of the bed.
“Ava!” Justin called out just as she reached the bathroom door.
“You don’t want to know.” She entered the bathroom and turn on the sink faucet. She wet her toothbrush and squirted it with a dab of toothpaste. Justin entered the bathroom just as she rinsed out her mouth.
“What are you not telling me?”
“I’m going to see Brandon.”
His eyebrows met. “You’re what?!”
“That reaction is the reason I didn’t want to tell you.” She applied cleanser to her face.
“That nut job had a gun to your head.”
“You don’t have to remind me.”
“What is this pull he has over you?” Justin threw his hands in the air in apparent frustration.
Ava rinsed her face and dried it with a hand towel. “There’s no pull, Justin. I plan to tell him I’m done. I want zero contact with him. That means no letters, phone calls, or messages through Scott or Tess. I know him, and if he believes he can convince me to forgive him, he’ll continue to reach out.”
Justin rubbed his forehead and shrugged. “Okay. You do what you feel is necessary.”
She grabbed his hand. “Hey, thanks for understanding.”
He pulled her into an embrace. “Clear your schedule for tonight. I have something special planned.”
She met his eyes. “You do? How? When did you have time?”
“You ask too many questions.” He kissed her lips. “I have to get my day started, so go run all your errands. Make sure your back no later than five.”
“Yes, sir.”
An hour later Ava left and met Scott outside the county courthouse. He was there for moral support. “Thanks for coming.” She greeted him with a hug.
“How are you?” he asked.
“Okay, considering…”
“What an insane turn of events.” He shook his head with his hands on his hips. “I’m completely dumbfounded. I mean, before you two got back together…”
“We were never together, Scott," she said, cutting him off. "He lied and manipulated me, so I could lean on him.”
“True, but I should have seen the signs. We had a long talk the night he crashed our dinner party. I thought I had gotten through to him.” He moved closer to Ava and whispered.
“He told me he thought about killing himself.”
“What?! Don’t you think you should’ve shared that with me?”
“I know…I know. The following days he seemed better.”
“We all thought he was doing better, but we were wrong. I realize you are his best friend, and you can’t turn your back on him, but I am. There’s no room in my life for him. I need him to understand he cannot contact me under no circumstances.”
“I understand.” He frowned. “Are you ready to see him?”
“Are ready as I’ll ever be.”
Chapter Forty
Ava sat on the metal stool in front of a plexiglass window. It was the first time she ever visited or had contact with anyone behind bars. Usually, inmates aren’t allowed a scheduled visit less than twenty-four hours in advance, but Chief Richards called in a favor with the sheriff. After a conversation between the two, he ultimately approved it.
Ava waited as her eyes shifted towards the opened door on the other side of the glass. She rehearsed in her mind what she wanted to say. Her goal was to make it clear she wanted nothing further to do with him.
Seconds later Brandon emerged with a guard by his side. His eyes were just as dead and soulless as the night before. The guard pushed him along to his chair. She could tell by his stride they had shackled his ankles. The guard placed him in a seat that faced her on the other side of the glass. He then leaned forward to remove the cuffs from around his wrist. Brandon brought the phone receiver to his ear and Ava did the same.
She stared directly into his eyes. “I don’t need you to speak— only listen,” she said in a stern voice.
He didn’t acknowledge her. He only stared.
“What you did to Justin and me was unconscionable. I want you to stay out of my life. That means no phone calls, emails, written letters, or passing messages through Scott.”
She paused, expecting him to beg for her forgiveness. Instead, his eyes welled up with tears. “I never meant to hurt you.”
Her jaw clenched as she glared at him. “But you did! You couldn’t handle being without me, so you cooked up an asinine plan to destroy Justin’s life. It’s pretty pathetic you had to murder that scumbag Phillip and frame Justin to have me in your life again. You told me every chance you had you loved me, but you don’t lie and manipulate the person you claim to love. The moment you raised that gun to my head you killed any compassion I could ever have for you. I hope you burn in hell for everything you’ve done!” She slammed the receiver down, avoided any further eye contact with him, and swiftly exited the visiting area. Scott rose to his feet when she entered the waiting room.
Betrayed by You Page 22