Revenge

by E M Courier

  She became his new obsession.

  A new reason to live and move on.

  And he ruined it. Ruined everything.

  “Keep her,” Atticus chimes in. “You don’t have to tell her Gavin is dead.”

  “I’m not going to lie to her. Besides, she hates me. If she stays with me I want it to be because she made that decision. Not because I forced her to.”

  ***

  Scarlett is startled awake by the sound of her door unlocking and opening. She hasn’t been asleep for long and her migraine was miraculously feeling much better than before her nap.

  She pulls the blankets over her and scooting back against the headboard. Rosie is standing in the doorway.

  “Just checking in,” she smiles politely. “Dinner will be brought up to you.”

  Scarlett tilts her head. “Why? Where’s Alexander?”

  “None of your business and you have no authority to question our masters orders. Dinner will be brought up to you,” her smile falters and she slams the door shut behind her.

  Something must have happened for Rosie to bring her dinner. Alexander has always insisted on her eating in the dining room. The only exception was if her migraine was debilitating. He cared enough to help her through the head pain, it was the only time she didn’t feel like a slave, but a guest. After they had sex, whenever a migraine would spike he would send Rosie up to her room with pain killers, water, and a snack.

  Something must’ve happened if Rosie is keeping her confide to her room even for meals and for her to blatantly ignore her question about Alexander’s whereabouts. If Liam’s plans were to get Alexander out of the house, could he have really if worked so quick?

  Could she truly be rescued so soon?

  Scarlett sits at the window bench staring out as she watches the pink sunset slowly turn to night. Rosie enters but Scarlett doesn’t spare a passing glance as the maid sets the tray of wonderful smelling food on the desk.

  How can anyone eat at a time like this?

  She’s much too excited at the thought of finally leaving the mansion. The same views gets tiring. She misses the busy city, misses her best friend dragging her to the club, and she desperately missing fresh air.

  After an hour or so, her belly is rumbling and her eyes droop, threatening to close and cause her to fall asleep. She forces herself awake. Near the window there’s a draft, Scarlett has become so accustomed to being naked that she forgot to cover up. If Liam is on his way she doesn’t need to follow Alexander’s rules anymore. She can wear her robe.

  Putting the silk robe on, her eyes drift to the surveillance camera in the corner of the room. A spike of fear runs through her. What if he’s watching?

  What if he’s watching her right now and whatever distraction Liam planned gets ruined?

  Scarlett drops the robe and covers her naked breasts with her arms. Pacing the room she starts to get nervous. Anxious for Liam’s arrival. In the pocket of her robe is Atticus’ phone, she is tempted to call Liam to ease her mind and confirm that he is on his way. Again, she doesn’t want to risk something going wrong.

  Freedom is so close.

  It’s nearly ten-thirty at night when Scarlett hears a commotion downstairs. At first there is the sound of a revving engine, then a large crash. Looking out her window is pointless, she can’t see a thing. It’s too dark and her view only shows the back of the mansion—not the front. Slowly making her way to the door she attempts to look out the small keyhole, but can’t make anything out.

  Putting her ear to the keyhole, there’s screaming and yelling, loud crashes and bangs. Her heart sinks in her stomach. Pessimism takes over and she fears the worst. What if Alexander never left? What if her father escaped from the basement and they’re fighting downstairs?

  “Scarlett!” A voice screams.

  It doesn’t sound like Alexander or her father. “Liam?”

  “Scarlett!” He repeats.

  “Liam!” She screams.

  There’s a loud pounding noise at her door. “Are you in there?”

  “Yes!”

  “The doors locked,” he curses under his breath. “Step back, I’m going to kick the door open.”

  Kick. Kick. BOOM.

  The door flies open and Scarlett is so overwhelmed with happiness and relief she flings herself into Liam’s arms.

  “You’re here!” She cries.

  Liam wraps his arms around her body holding her tight. “We have to go before my brother realizes our mother isn’t sick.”

  She didn’t understand what that meant but she assumes that’s what was told to distract Alexander away from the mansion. Liam’s face is red as he looks Scarlett up and down. Her body naked and bare to him. A slight blush creeps onto her face but she doesn’t feel as bashful as she would’ve a month ago.

  Running to grab her robe, she quickly puts it on no longer feeling like she’s disobeying orders. She’s free. Liam extends his hand out for her to grab, she holds it tightly and he guides her downstairs. The front door is wide open and her heart swells. She’s so close to leaving this place forever.

  “Wait!” She says before they can exit.

  “What?” Liam knits his brows. “We have to go.”

  “My father! I never got to say goodbye. Please, please Liam!”

  Liam pauses mulling it over before groaning, “Shit. Fine. Where is he?”

  Now it’s Scarlett’s turn to lead him. She heads to the door in the kitchen that leads to the basement. To her surprise the door is unlocked. Liam trails behind her as they rush down the stairs.

  The smell hits her hard, her eyes start to water and she covers her nose but not before throwing up. Liam rubs her back soothingly. “Stay here,” he says warily. Slowly, he follows the stench to the room where her father is held.

  He opens the door and barely a second later he quickly shuts it. His face is pale and sickly looking. Almost like it’s his turn to vomit.

  “What?” Scarlett’s heart beats fast.

  “You don’t want to see him,” he shakes his head.

  “But I have to say goodbye to him!” She cries out. Rushing for the door, Liam wraps his arms around her waist and pulls her back to him. Her arms out of reach from the doorknob.

  “I’m sorry, Scarlett,” is all he says before hauling her out of the basement. “He wouldn’t want you to see him like that. He knows you loved him.”

  “No! let me go!” She fights in his grasp. She doesn’t want to hear what her mind has already worked out. The stench, the pale look of mortification on Liam’s face, the fact that they’re leaving without him, the fact that he didn’t let Scarlett she him. He’s been brutally tortured. Killed maliciously. But it isn’t fair. She has to say goodbye. She was so cruel to him the last time they talked but she was so mad. Even though he did horrible things and lied to her, the part of her that remembers the wonderful lady sixteen years she had exploring the country with him is the part of him she remembers most. The most fond part of her memories, the ones that paint him to be the best man she had ever met. The best dad in the world. She loved him. She truly loved him.

  And now he’s dead.

  “Say it isn’t true,” she weeps pounding her fists to his chest.

  Liam closes his eyes unable to bear the sad sight of her. “Come on,” he says gently. “We’re going home.”

  Where is home?

  Liam carries her out of the house. His silver Mercedes Benz is parked on the grass. The loud noise she heard was his car ramming through the gates. “I guess they’re not as secure as Alexander thought,” he attempts to joke.

  The front of his expensive car is ruined and Scarlett frowns at the sight, feeling guilty. He opens the passenger door and places her on the seat. Running over to the drivers side he puts the key in the engine and quickly drive away from the mansion she will likely see in her nightmares for the rest of her life.

  It’s quiet in the car. So quiet that Scarlett hates it. The lack of noise is defeating and she hates that she
can hear her own thoughts. Her thoughts make her stomach churn and she once again feels nauseous. The thoughts plaguing her mind scare her. She doesn’t want to think about a life after this ordeal. A life without her father.

  Or a life without Alexander.

  Her mind keeps wandering to Alexander. Her heart breaks as she thinks of him. He killed her father and that makes her hate him. He stole her heart and that makes her hate him even more, but it also makes her love him. It makes her unable to steer her mind clearly, it’s manipulated by Alexander. Her mind wired to want him.

  She looks over her shoulder out the back window where she takes her last glimpse of the mansion. Regret bubbling in her stomach, not wanting to admit that she’ll miss the place.

  Conflicted over how to feel she is overwhelmed by her emotions. She’ll miss the place that made her fall in love with Alexander, but the place will haunt her because it’s the place where he murdered her father.

  “Are you okay?” Liam asks.

  “I’m scared.”

  “There’s no reason to be scared anymore,” he places a hand on her kneecap.

  She flinches away from his touch.

  “Did my brother…” he stops, looking for the right words to say. “Did he touch you? Hurt you?”

  Tears brim Scarlett’s eyes. “What would you say if I said yes? Yes that I let him touch me?”

  “Let him?” He frowns but still looks confused.

  “Am I foolish? Am I foolish for falling in love with my captor? Foolish for still being in love with him even after he’s murdered my father?”

  “Scarlett…” he stammers. “Alexander is...he’s not...he…”

  She starts to cry into her hands.

  “My brother isn’t a bad man. He’s just a little messed up. I don’t think he ever meant to hurt you,” he says unconvincingly.

  “I know he wanted my father dead, but I just thought that maybe...maybe he cared about me more than his vendetta to kill him.”

  “What happened?”

  “I gave myself to him and I thought...I gave him my heart, I just thought he gave his in return. Instead he took mine and ran.”

  “I’m sorry,” Liam sighs.

  She shakes her head, not wanting to think about it anymore. Maybe her feelings will go away the more time that’s spent away from him. Maybe being out of the mansion make her think more clearly. “Where are we going?”

  “To Kai’s.”

  “Why not your place?”

  “Because once Alexander finds out I was the one who took you, he’ll check my place. I was going to bring you to Olive’s but once he finds out she lied, he’ll know she was in on breaking you out , too.”

  “Are you going to leave me there alone?” Her voice squeaks. She’s never talked to Kai. He’s a stranger to her and the thought of being in an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar people make her feel panicked.

  “I’m not sure. He’ll probably be looking for me or Olive with answers. He might even check Kai’s place but I don’t know where else to bring you. Don’t worry, we won’t let him take you again.” He reassures her.

  ***

  Alexander screams with rage the second he entered his parents house only to find his mother in perfectly good health and Scarlett gone. Fist clenched and ready to destroy his parents house, Olive and Atticus have to calm him down.

  The surveillance cameras back at his mansion show Scarlett missing, the front door wide open, Rosie tied up, and his fucking front gate dented and ruined.

  “What the hell did you do?” He screams at Olive.

  “What any decent human being would do! Save a girl who was kidnapped by a psychopath!” She spits out hatefully.

  The sight of his little sister with tears in her eyes, sobers him up. Who has he become?

  “I never meant to hurt her,” he whispers.

  “But you hurt her father?” She asks and he doesn’t answer. “Huh?”

  “He’s dead.”

  “And you killed him?” She shouts through gritted teeth.

  “I did,” Atticus comes to the rescue.

  “I understand that Ellie’s death ruined you but...but if you had gotten the help you could’ve healed properly. It could not have turned you into a monster obsessed with getting revenge. You hurt a poor girl! She was innocent! She had no involvement in Ellie’s death and yet you punished her just because she was his daughter.”

  “I had to avenge Ellie,” Alexander growls.

  “No! You didn’t!” Olive nearly pulls her hair out. “The best thing you could’ve done for Ellie was to continue to live your life. You had so much potential. You were fun to be around! Then you just stopped trying and we were all scared for you!”

  “I’m not sorry for what had to be done,” he looks away from her.

  Olive slaps him across the face. “I love you, Alexander. You’re our brother and we want you to get help. It’s been sixteen years. Please, we’re begging you.”

  ***

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  After an hour in Kai’s shower, Scarlett steps out and puts on clothes that Olive brought over for her. It feels weird wearing clothes, the cotton feels itchy against her skin unlike the silk robe. The mirror in the bathroom is fogged up, she wipes a hand against the mirror creating a little window for her to look out of. Her eyes are red from crying, her skin pale, and the bags under her eyes dark. The reflection staring back at her is strange, different than the Scarlett she was a month ago.

  Olive, Liam, and Kai are waiting in the living room. They go quiet when they see her standing in the doorway. They all look solemn, sad, and concerned. The glances they give her feel pitying and she wishes to disappear. Everything feels off and she feels lost, things are different, she knows nothing will be the same. Her life will always be divided into a life before and after Alexander.

  “Are you okay?” Olive stands from the couch and slowly steps toward her.

  “I don’t know,” she shrugs.

  “Don’t worry, he won’t hurt you again,” Liam frowns.

  “You don’t ever have to see him again, either. We’ll make sure of it,” Olive chimes in and the rest agree.

  Her stomach falls. The words should be comforting, but all she wishes she could do right now is see Alexander. Talk to him. Touch him. She suppresses the need, continuously telling herself that this feeling will go away with time.

  “Do you want to come back to my place?” Olive offers.

  “What about Alexander? I thought you said he’d be looking for me,” she looks to Liam.

  Liam looks around at his siblings unsure to say anything. “He’s...he won’t be bothering you,” he says carefully.

  “What does that mean?” Her voice cracks.

  Olive takes another step closer to her, putting her hands out, “Everything is okay. Alexander is getting help,” her gentle voice calms Scarlett down.

  “Help?” She questions confused.

  “Alexander never meant to hurt you, Scarlett. He’s a good man, he just never recovered from Ellie’s death. It traumatized him. His judgement was blinded by his grief and his obsession. He knows what he did was wrong, he is going away to have help in healing himself,” Olive explains.

  “Oh,” she manages to get out.

  Baffled at that, she doesn’t really know what to say or how to feel. She always knew that he felt something, the way he treated her when he wasn’t acting controlling, he treated her like a friend--a lover. He cared for her and he never truly hurt her, he never harmed her, never pushed her to her limits. Never forced her. He was patient, kind, and considerate, and she wanted it all. She wanted all of him, wanted to give herself to him.

  That is just the Stockholm Syndrome talking, she repeats to herself. It wasn’t really love.

  Alexander told her the truth, the truth her father hide and twisted for sixteen years. He opened her eyes to the reality of her life--the part she forgot about. The part that was lost buried in her mind. He pulled out the memories, the same memories tha
t contained her beautiful and loving mother. The memories of her life when she was Hazel MacInyre. She should thank him.

  But he also killed her father. The father that raised her, that loved her, that bought her yellow roses when she was sad, that picked her up when she fell, that encouraged her to chase her dreams. The same father hat showed her the world and taught her so many life lessons that it shaped her into the person she is today. Her father was a bad man, but the world isn’t split between good and evil, it is a mix of both and her father wasn’t evil. He was sick, but he loved and he loved fiercely. Love made him devoted, but it also made him horrible. He deserved to be punished, there is no doubt about that in Scarlett’s mind, but he didn’t deserve to be tortured or brutally killed.

  And that is what she can’t forgive Alexander for doing.

  “What do you say, Scarlett?” Kai snaps her out of her thoughts. “I won’t be offended if you want to stay with Olive. Actually, I encourage it. She is great company,” he smiles charmingly.

  “And my place is nicer,” Olive boasts.

  Scarlett can’t imagine a place nicer than Kai’s. The money the Novak’s have, of course, their lives lavious living in some of the most expensive places only billionaires can afford. She agrees to go with Olive, not because of the claim that her apartment is nicer, but because being with a woman seems easier than being with either Kai or Liam. She needs time to think and to learn how to live again without Alexander. She can’t go back to Jo, although Liam offered her his phone to call her, she declined. Jo would take pity on her, she would ask questions and pry, she would ask for too many details that Scarlett isn’t ready to talk about.

  Olive wouldn’t ask and maybe she would understand and be the friend that she so desperately needs right now.

  “Okay,” Olive grins placing her hand on Scarlett’s back. “Let’s get going. You’re probably tired.”

  She doesn’t argue. Looking over her shoulder Kai and Liam follow them to the front door. Liam gives her a weak smile. “I’ll come check on you soon,” he promises.