Catching Avery

by M. E. Clayton

  I couldn’t respond. I was focusing all my energies on fighting back. I turned my head, looking around for anything in the items that were thrown from the closet that could help me bash this sonofabitch’s head in. I had to think, fighting blindly was no match for his strength.

  And then he gave me an out. “This is what you’re going to do. You’re going to call your boss and tell him to bring you half a million dollars or else there’s not going to be anything left of you for him to fuck!”

  I didn’t comment on the absurd amount of money he was demanding, I just tried to focus on his idea to call Nicholas…to call for help. “Okay,” I metered out. “I…I...need my ph…phone.”

  I was silently thanking God for his lack of reason in allowing me to call Nicholas that I didn’t hear the commotion coming from the living room. I heard a bunch of cries and curses, and while I couldn’t make out what exactly was being said, I knew the female voices belonged to Q and Izzy.

  And I had never felt such elated relief as I did when I finally found my focus enough to witness Julian pull Eric off me in a magnificent display of male rage and fury.

  I felt Q’s arms engulf me as Iz sat down on the floor in front of me, holding my hands in hers as tears poured down her beautiful face.

  “We’re here, Ace. It’s okay, it’s okay,” Quinn kept chanting her reassurances over and over again. I lifted my head to look past Izzy. Chase was on his phone to 911 and Julian was killing Eric.

  “Iz, he’s killing him,” I whispered.

  I stayed alert enough to see Izzy throw herself at Julian to stop him and as my adrenaline crashed, so did I.

  I had the best friends ever.

  Nicholas~

  I had just returned to the SMA building, hoping Avery was still here. It was almost midnight, so even if the party was over, the committee members would still be here cleaning up, I would think.

  My phone rang before I reached the elevator. It was Chase. “What’s up?” There was a pause of silence on the other end. “Chase?”

  “Nick, where are you?”

  “I came to my senses before I could do anything I couldn’t take back. I’m back at the party.” It was then I could hear voices in the background and…radios? “Wait…where are you?”

  I could hear him take a deep breath. “I need to you to hear me out first, okay?”

  Hear him out first? What the fuck? “What are you talking about?”

  “Avery’s going to be okay. Nick, list-”

  My entire body felt cold and hot at the same time. “What the fuck do you mean Avery’s going to be okay?” I barked into the phone.

  I could hear him pull away from the phone to talk to someone. “I’m speaking with her boyfriend…yeah…okay.”

  “Chase!” I was already back out onto the sideway, flagging down a cab but having no idea where I was going.

  “Nick, I’m at Avery’s. The police are here-”

  “The police? Chase-” I stopped as a cab pulled over along the curb. I jumped into the cab, giving the driver Avery’s address and promising him every bill in my wallet if he broke the speed limit and every traffic law there was.

  “We’re all here with her, Nick, but she needs you-”

  I didn’t give him a chance to finish. “I’ll be there in three minutes, Chase. Three minutes. Tell her I’m on my way.”

  “Alright, just hurry.”

  The phone went dead as he hung up. Three minutes to some might seem like nothing, but when you’re gripped in the throes of fear, three minutes are three minutes too long.

  An eternity later, the cab approached Avery’s address, but the driver couldn’t pull up to her building entrance because it was being blocked by two police cars and an ambulance. I didn’t think my legs were going to work. I was so consumed with the fear of the unknown, I was sure the cab driver was going to have to physically remove me from the vehicle.

  It wasn’t until I saw Chase bounced down the steps that I was able to move. As promised, I threw every bill I had at the cab driver and jumping out of the cab and ran towards Avery’s building.

  As soon as Chase saw me, he grabbed onto my shoulders, intercepting me. “Sav, wait…”

  I shot him an incredulous look and he instantly side stepped around me so I could get through. I didn’t bother with the elevator. I ran up the three flights of steps and didn’t stop until I was pushed back into the hallway by a cop.

  He wasn’t able to push me back over the door threshold, though, before I got a look at Avery surrounded by Q, Iz and a couple of paramedics. “Sorry sir-”

  Luckily, before I could be charged with assault on a police officer, Quinn was by my side. “No, Officer, it’s fine. This is her boyfriend. Please, she needs him.”

  Without a word, he stepped aside to allow me in. I made my way past everyone in the room to get to Avery. The paramedics were less than happy when I shoved my way in between then to see Avery for myself. “Excuse us, sir! We need to tend to our victim.”

  Victim.

  What an agonizing word.

  And Avery looked every bit the victim as I took in her appearance. Her face was a busted mess and there was blood on her shirt. Her hair was a tangled, matted disaster and her arms were covered in scrapes and bruises. She didn’t speak as I ran my gaze over her face and body, but the second she saw me standing before her, her eyes started overflowing with tears.

  The female paramedic apparently had had enough. “Sir, kindly, move out of my way so that I can see to her injuries.”

  Injuries.

  “Of course, unless you want her sitting here in pain and discomfort,” she snidely commented.

  That brought me out of my stupor and I stepped back so they could do their jobs. I walked over to where Julian was being questioned by a cop. Chase was on the phone talking to, whom I presume, was Carson. “What happened?”

  The officer looked up from notepad. “And who are you?”

  I stepped into his space. I gave two fucks that he was a cop. “I’m Avery’s boyfriend, now will someone tell me what the fuck happened here?”

  I felt a hand on my shoulder. “Nick, relax, man.”

  Nothing Chase could say would relax me. “The only way I’m going to relax is if someone tells me what the fuck is going on!” I roared.

  “What’s your name, sir?”

  “Nicholas Savage.” I was gritting my teeth so hard; I’m surprised he could understand me.

  He nodded as he wrote my name down in his little notebook. Looking back up at me, he began to explain, “Well, it appears as if Mr. Anderson broke into Ms. Ellis’ apartment and attacked her when she walked in on him.”

  When his words finally made sense in my mind, I scanned the apartment until I could see, through the opened doorway of the bedroom, Eric handcuffed on the bed, being tended to by another paramedic. I made it as far as the other side of the bedroom door before I was brought up short by the two officers that had been guarding Eric while he was being bandaged.

  “Calm down, sir, or I won’t hesitate to put you in cuffs as well!” Cop number one threatened.

  Chase was instantly by my side. “Nick, come on, man. Avery needs you. Julez already took care of that piece of shit.”

  I closed my eyes as the weight of my failure threatened to push me to my knees. Julian saved Avery. It was Julian who rescued her. It was Julian who was her hero.

  The officers let me go as they felt my body ease its resistance. I walked out of the bedroom, turning away from Eric before I went to jail. I imagine Eric’s injuries were the reason Julian was being questioned at length.

  I stood in the center of all the chaos, taking in the disarray of her apartment, the cops, the paramedics, the girls, the guys, Eric, Avery, everything. Yet, there was only one thing clamoring around in my head. I was sitting at a bar, getting hit on by some woman who’s face I can’t even recall, because I ignorantly thought getting my dick wet by some stranger would solve all my problems, and all the while, Avery was being attack
ed in her own home.

  I was ten years old that fateful day when I witnessed just how poisonous my mother really was. I ran all the way to Chase’s and broke down and cried. That was the last time I can remember ever crying, but I felt like crying now. I spent years being bitter because the one woman who was supposed to love me had failed me, exactly like I failed Avery.

  Because I did love her.

  I was vaguely aware of all that was going on around me. I was drowning in some seriously deep seeding self-loathing. Chase brought me out of my stupor. “Hey, you okay?”

  “Is Julian going to be okay?” I only got a few glimpses of Eric, but I could only imagine the damage he suffered at the hands of Julian.

  “Yeah, he’ll be fine. There’s no way charges would be pressed. Not with how Avery looked when…oh, shit! Sorry, Nick. Fuck, I’m sorry.”

  I welcomed the stabbing pain in my chest at his words. I deserved it. I deserved a lot more than Chase’s honesty. I saw the paramedics who had been working on Avery packing up their stuff. “I gotta talk to Avery.”

  As the paramedics exited the kitchen, Quinn and Isabella noticed me approaching and silently joined the paramedics, giving me and Avery some privacy.

  Fuck, I was scared.

  My eyes held hers as I finally came to stand in front of her. She was sitting on one of the kitchen chairs so I lowered myself onto my haunches to be closer to face level with her. I took inventory of her face and I wanted to kill Eric. I wanted to go into that bedroom and murder him. It took everything I had to not return to that bedroom and beat Eric to death.

  Avery must have seen the struggle in my eyes, because she reached out to take my hands in hers. I don’t know how I kept it together. I lifted my hand and rested it against the side of her face that held the less damage. “Awe, Imp, what am I going to do with you?”

  Tears bubbled up in her eyes and spilled out uninterrupted, and because I was feeling like such an impotent failure, I asked the one question that would seal my fate. “Do you want me to kill him? Because I will if that is what you need from me, Avery.”

  She jumped out of the chair and into my arms. Thankfully, I was strong enough to stand up as she flung herself to me. She wrapped herself around me so tightly; it was as if she was trying to fuse herself to my body. I wanted to drop to my knees in prayer and thank The Lord that it was me she was holding onto even though I failed to protect her. She was crying in my arms and not Julian’s. Julian, who saved her.

  I was already indebted to him and Chase for getting me through my past, I didn’t know how I was ever going to thank him for saving my future. My arms were like steel bands wrapped around her and I’m sure it was painful considering, but she didn’t pull away from me and I couldn’t let her go. “I got you, Imp. I got you and I am never letting you go. Never fucking again!”

  She finally spoke and wept my name, “Nicholas.” I blocked out everyone around us as I held her in my arms. Nothing else matter but this girl in my arms.

  I don’t know how long she cried in my arms, but our imposed bubble was burst open when the police approached us to inform Avery that they were taking Eric to the station and booking him on breaking and entering, trespassing, assault, false imprisonment and a few other charges. The cops had to assist Eric as they hauled him from the apartment. Julian fucked him up so badly, he’ll probably have lifelong affects from the beating he sustained. Good thing Chase called Carson.

  After all the cops and paramedics filed out, Quinn quietly started to straighten up. She got as far as putting the throw pillows back on the couch before she broke down and started crying. Chase gathered her up in his arms before the first tear reached her chin.

  “I’m taking Avery to my house. She’ll stay with me until…she’ll just stay with me.” Avery just stayed in my arms, not arguing.

  “Let me get some of her things together.” Isabella ran to the bedroom, then the bathroom before presenting me with a small carry bag stuffed full with some of Avery’s things.

  “We’ll be back tomorrow to clean up this mess, so don’t worry about it,” Julian said.

  “Thanks, Julez,” My voice cracked as I continued, “Thanks for…I can’t…man….”

  He clapped me on my back. “No need, Nick. There’s no need.”

  Chase threw me his car keys and I just nodded numbly as I walked Avery out of the apartment. I got her settled in Chase’s car and we drove in silence to my penthouse. Once we got inside my house, I joined her in the shower in case she needed my assistance. That was when I got a full look at all the damage that was done to her body and I was so engulfed in rage, I couldn’t stop the flow from eyes even if I had tried.

  This time she held me as I cried.

  Chapter 24

  Virtues: Because all I have is nothing, if I don't have you to give it to.

  Nicholas~

  I climbed out of bed the next morning as quietly as I could. Avery was still sleeping heavily next to me. Quinn and Chase had her prescriptions sent to an all-night pharmacy and brought them over as soon as they were filled. The pain medications warned of drowsiness, so I wasn’t sure what time she’d be waking up.

  If it were up to me, she wouldn’t wake up for a month until all signs of last night were gone from her body. I was most concerned about the slice that ran down her face, but I would fly in the best plastic surgeons in the world if that’s what she decided she wanted.

  I was in the kitchen eating some fruit for breakfast and sending off texts to Isabella when I heard Avery clearing her throat. I looked up from my phone and my heart broke all over again at the sight of her bruises.

  “Hey, baby. I was just texting Isabella. They’re all at your apartment putting everything back together as best they can.” I was nervous and I think she could hear it in my voice. She nodded and sat down on one of the bar chairs. “Are you hungry, thirsty? I read your prescriptions and they all mostly say you need to take them with food. I cut up some fruit and I have juice in the fridge, but I can go out and get you something else if you don’t want fruit. Or I can-”

  “Nicholas,” I swallowed nervously waiting for her to tell me to take her home to her friends, “fruit is fine and whatever juice you have is okay too.”

  I jumped to get her some juice and I was so anxious, I spilled it all over the counter. “Shit!” I placed the juice and fruit in front of Avery then went about cleaning up the mess I made. She was probably thinking how in the hell could I protect her if I can’t even pour some fucking orange juice.

  When I was done, I turned to Avery and found her watching me with a small smile on her face. God, the sight made me weak. “Nicholas, I’m fine.”

  I let out a humorless laugh. “Yeah, Imp, I can see that.”

  She let out a heavy sigh. “Nic-”

  “Don’t, Avery. Just…don’t.” I let her sooth me last night when the sight of her batter body did me in, but today and the rest of the days of my life, I was going to be strong for her. That strength was going to start now with me ripping off all my personal scabs and bleeding for her.

  Never letting my gaze waver, I gave her what she had always wanted from me. “My mother was a crack whore. Hell, she might still be. I don’t know because I haven’t spoken to her since I was eighteen and me, Chase and Julian left Oakland. We grew up in the worst parts of Oakland. The Deep East to be exact. The neighborhood is everything you hear about in the news, everything stereotypical about poor and violent inner city hoods. Donna and I….my mother…my mother and I came to an understanding when I was ten that she’d quit pretending to be a parent and I’d take care of myself.” The details were the worst. “I saw her with different men all the time, but I didn’t really know what it meant, until one day I came home from school and walked in on a full blown drug fueled orgy going on in our living room.” Avery didn’t interrupt, but I could see sympathy creep into her eyes. “I ran all the way to Chase’s house because Chase’s mom was the only caring adult we had in our lives. From that day on, I spe
nt as much time as I could at Chase’s.”

  Avery remained silent as I walked around the kitchen bar and took a seat next to her. “Katrina is a money runner for a guy we grew up named Federico Santiago. He’s into everything…drugs, gambling, extortion…just your average well balanced criminal. The day you found me with Katrina, she was there to inform me that Donna owed Santiago a couple of grand. For some unfathomable reason, she thought I’d want a chance to pay Santiago so Donna could escape her debt unscathed.”

  “And when you said no, she suggested another means of payment,” she concluded.

  I nodded and continued, “She claimed if I didn’t want to clear out the debt in cash, I could clear it out in other ways, for old time’s sake.” Avery had stopped eating her fruit, so I took her hands in mine. I wanted her to feel my earnest. “Avery, I am so sorry for how I…reacted that day. I panicked. I walked away from my past over ten years ago and I never looked back. I didn’t want any of it touching you, so I ushered you out of there before Katrina could ask any questions. I didn’t want her going back to Donna with any details about my personal life, but I really just didn’t want you tainted by my past. And believe me…Katrina, my mother, all that is my past and it’s all very tainted.”

  “Nicholas, you have to know that nothing about your past would change how I feel about you?” Her eyes were full of such naked love and honesty.

  “Come on, Imp, even you have to admit there was no way for me to know that. We’d only been seeing each other a couple of weeks.”

  She wasn’t going to let me off that easy, as well she shouldn’t. “I understand that, Nicholas, I really do, but I told you about my parents. I let you see my insecurities and you disregarded them and treating my issues like they were ridiculous. Relationships aren’t just about what you do. They’re about how you make each other feel and you made me feel like a random piece of ass.”

  Even knowing I deserved whatever she threw at me, it didn’t sting any less. “I’ll spend the rest of my days making it up to you, but I swear, Avery, you were never a piece of ass. That night at Xavier’s when Julian told me you were one of our employees therefore I couldn’t pursue you, it made no difference to me at all. I was ready to have our lawyer on standby for whatever sexual harassment lawsuits you were going to throw at me.”