“Thank you for your input, Heather—” Clive begins, but I cut him off.
“I am not crazy. I was not having an affair. And I’m sick to death of you interfering in this business, which is not yours.”
“You are crazy!” she screams.
“Ladies . . .”
A knock sounds at the door. We all go quiet.
“Yes?” Clive says, his voice tired.
“Sorry to bother you,” the receptionist says, popping her head in. “There’s a man here; he’s with the police. He said it’s important he steps in on this mediation.”
“What?” Heather gasps. “Why is a police officer here?”
Yes, why is a police officer here? My heart pounds.
“Let him in.”
I glance at the door and my entire world spins as Heath steps in, looking like heaven and hell and everything beautiful in this world. My bottom lip trembles as his eyes find mine, then he walks over to the table and stops, glaring at Heather and Gerard.
“Sorry to interrupt,” he begins, finally looking to the mediator. “I feel it’s necessary that I step in here, as a previous officer of the law, and inform you of my part in all this.”
“Who the hell are you?” Heather snaps.
Heath glares at her. “I’m Heath, the imaginary man you’ve all so painfully made Lucy aware of in the last few months.”
You could hear crickets—the room is that quiet.
“You’ll understand that I require identification as to exactly who you are,” Clive says.
Heath pulls out his identification and hands it to him. “I was with Lucy the day of the attack. I got her out. Afterwards, I was working an undercover case and was on somewhat of a witness protection program, if you will, so was unable to make myself known. These people tortured her and called her crazy. Her own husband walked away from her. She was not having an affair, and if you ask the private investigator they hired, he’ll tell you the same.”
Heather’s mouth opens, then closes. Gerard looks as if he’s going to pass out.
“Thank you for taking the time to come in here and clear this up, Mr. Walker. Is there a way I can contact your station and confirm this?”
Heath nods. “Yes, all the information is right here on this card.” Heath hands him a card from his pocket, and then looks to Gerard and Heather.
“You”—he points to Heather—“need to learn to shut your mouth before it gets you into trouble, and you”—he points to Gerard—“should be ashamed of yourself, leaving your wife when she needed you the most and dragging her through all this. But mostly, for letting that wicked bitch of a woman speak to her the way she has. That woman was carrying your child only a few months ago; she was your wife, and you chose to treat her the way you did.”
Gerard opens his mouth.
Heath puts a hand up. “You lost your shot. And let me tell you, you lost a damned good thing in doing it. She’s the best thing that would have ever happened to you in your life, and you gave her away. Take a long, hard look at her. Know what you lost, because she’s mine now, and I can tell you . . .” He leans forward, putting his hands on the table. “No one will ever take her from me, nor will I ever lose her because I have my own head shoved so far up my own ass I can’t see what’s right in front of me.”
Gerard’s mouth slams closed and his eyes flick to me. “Lucy?”
I don’t answer. I just launch out of my chair and turn, throwing myself into Heath’s arms as tears roll down my cheeks.
“I should have done this sooner,” he murmurs into my hair. “I’m so sorry baby.”
“I love you,” I whisper.
“I fuckin’ love you, too.”
“This is an outrage!” Heather cries, leaping up.
“Sit down!” Clive barks. “This session is finished for the day while I confirm what Heath has told me here. I’ll call you with a new date, and Gerard, I suggest you leave your sister at home next time.”
Gerard has his eyes on Heath and I. He looks hurt. Mostly, he looks pissed.
Then he turns to Heather. “Don’t worry. I will be.”
“Gerard!” she shrieks as he stands and walks over to us, extending his hand. Heath takes it.
“Thank you, for giving her what I couldn’t,” Gerard says, his eyes moving from Heath’s to mine. “I’m sorry, Lucy. I wish you all the happiness.” Then he turns to Clive. “Give her what she wants; I’ll sign whatever. I don’t need to go to court.”
Clive nods. Gerard walks out of the room.
“This isn’t over!” Heather cries, glaring at me before rushing out after Gerard.
“That woman needs a bullet,” Clive mumbles.
Heath and I burst out laughing.
Yes, indeed she does.
~*~*~*~
“You’re amazing,” I breathe, rotating my hips and taking Heath’s cock deep inside me.
“Fuck, I would have done that sooner had I known how grateful you’d be,” he groans, his hands on my hips, circling me on his lap.
We’re in his truck parked up on a quiet road, and I’m on his lap. His cock is deep inside me and we’re fucking, slow and intense.
“I want to come,” I whimper, using my good hand to grasp his shoulder.
“Come for me then, baby. Come.”
“I want it to last longer,” I say in the next breath, throwing my head back and gasping his name.
“If you don’t come, I will,” he growls, leaning in and biting my neck.
I whimper and drive my nails into his flesh, arching my back until finally my body explodes with pleasure. A strangled scream leaves my throat and it feels amazing, so god damned amazing. A few seconds later, Heath whispers my name against my neck and his cock jerks inside me.
Bliss.
“We should probably get off this road,” he says after a few minutes.
“Just a second longer,” I say, nuzzling his neck, darting my tongue out to taste his sweat.
He turns and our lips meet. “You’re beautiful,” he says, his eyes hooded from pleasure.
“So are you,” I breathe against him.
“We gotta get out of here now.” He carefully lifts me and places me back on my seat, doing up his jeans before turning and looking at me. “You okay?”
“Never better.” I give him a genuine smile.
“Glad to see that smile touch your eyes, Lucy girl.”
“It wouldn’t have without you.”
“Glad to know that, also.”
I smile.
He smiles.
“You ready to go and make plans?” I ask.
He huffs and pulls the truck out while I straighten up. “Not at all.”
“The sooner we get this over with, the better,” I point out.
“I know that. Doesn’t mean I like it.”
I laugh softly. “Hey, Heath?”
“Mmmm?”
“What exactly are we going to do when this is over?”
“I thought that would be obvious by now?”
I narrow my eyes and study him. “How so?”
“We’ve come together in a series of moments, so it only seems logical what we do when we’re free of all this.”
“And that is?” I prompt.
“It’s simple, Lucy girl,” he says, reaching over and taking my hand. “We create more moments. A lifetime of them.”
We create more moments.
A lifetime of them.
Oh yes.
CHAPTER 27
“Are you sure about this?” Heath asks as we get into his truck.
I swallow and glance at the guys, who are staring at me. “Yes.”
“I don’t like it, Luc.”
“I know.”
“Hey,” Sheldon says, coming to the window. “You make sure you look after yourself and do everything we told you to do.”
I nod. “I will. I promise.”
“Don’t leave anything to fate, sweetheart,” Blake says, shoving Sheldon out of the way. “Trust your gut.
”
I nod, forcing back the fear clogging my throat.
“And if you have to, fight,” Johnny says, stepping next to Blake. “Fight hard.”
“Thanks, guys.”
“Good luck,” Sheldon says, and they all step back.
Heath is about to pull away when Tank steps up to the window. Everyone goes silent.
“I was wrong,” he says, his voice gruff. “Thank you.” With that, he turns and disappears into the house.
My heart aches a little for him.
“Ready?” Heath asks.
“I’m ready.”
We pull out and drive into town, arriving at my house. We both head inside and once we’re in, we start wasting time. Heath gives me a tiny camera that can both record videos and sound. It’s small enough that I can tuck it into my panties and nobody will be any wiser. It’s barely the size of a USB drive. Aside from that, I have no other devices on me.
It’s been a week since we decided to make this a thing, so most of the grazes on my body have healed, but my arm is still in a cast. Johnny informed me that might come in handy, if I need to hit someone over the head. The guys spent the last week going over everything about Josh and giving me information on the cult and what I need to know.
I’m terrified.
“Let’s go over it once more,” Heath says, flopping down onto the couch.
“Heath, we’ve been through it all. I just want five minutes with you.”
He pulls me onto his lap, and I curl into him. “If something happens to you . . .” he says, his voice tight.
“It won’t.”
“I can’t be sure of that.”
“I’ll be okay.”
I find his lips with mine and kiss him, slowly at first, then deeper until we’re all tongues and mouths, our bodies squashed together.
We stay like that, kissing and hugging for the next hour. Then we both know it’s time.
“Lucy,” Heath says as I walk to the door.
“Yeah?”
“I fucking love you, baby.”
“I love you, too.”
He squeezes my hand, and I don’t fight my tears because I know I’m going to need them. I let them roll down my cheeks as Heath pulls out his phone and calls Sheldon.
“He watching?” With a sharp nod, Heath hangs up. “He’s watching. Let’s do this.”
I nod, tears rolling and turn, storming out of the house, letting all the anger and rage for the girls stuck in that place fuel my act. “Don’t follow me, Heath!” I scream.
“You’re fucking out of your mind. Whatever he told you was a lie,” he barks, a few steps behind.
“If it was a lie, then why have you turned so awful against me since I’ve been in there?”
“Because he’s corrupted you.”
“I thought so, too,” I scream. “Until I got home and you acted how you are. Maybe he was right; maybe you’re a bad person.”
“He’s a fucking loon, Lucy. He’s trying to twist your mind.”
“And what about you? What about what you’re trying to do?”
“He needs to pay.”
“He was trying to help you,” I scream so loudly that even he flinches. “He was trying to help you, and you turned his family against him. I kind of understand why he’s done what he’s done.”
“He deserves to fucking die,” Heath bellows.
“Who the hell are you?” I gasp, pressing a hand to my chest. “You’re a monster.”
“He’s the monster. If you walk away from here right now, we’re done. Do you fucking hear me?”
I prepare myself for what’s going to come next, because I know it’s coming. We’ve practiced it, but it hurts all the same. Heath steps forward and curls a hand around my upper arm, jerking me forward so hard I lose my footing.
“Let me go,” I scream.
“You’re not listening to me. He’s a monster. He’s messing with your mind.”
“Let me go,” I bellow, trying to pull back.
“I’m so sorry,” Heath mouths before letting me go so hard I tumble backwards and land on my ass.
I turn and push to my feet, running off down the pathway. My cast bangs against my ribs and radiates pain through the side of my body. But, it has to go done like this.
“Get back here!” he barks.
I don’t stop. Tears flow easily down my cheeks, because even though I know that wasn’t real, it hurts all the same.
I round a corner and unlock my car, throwing myself in, then I drive off.
I go to a nearby park.
And I wait.
Because I know he’ll come for me.
I just know.
~*~*~*~
I’m right.
Within five minutes, the white van pulls up and Josh steps out, followed by some of his minions. I pretend I don’t see them and sit, my head in my arms, sobbing. I can feel the recording device tucked in my panties, the only safe spot for it right now.
Their footsteps approach, and I don’t look up.
“I told you what kind of man he was.” Josh’s voice is gentle, soothing, and for a second I can see why people fall for it.
I look up at him with my tear-streaked face. “Go the hell away.”
“You don’t really want that. I saw what he just did to you.”
I look away, acting classes in school paying off.
“He’s a monster, Lucy. I’ve told you this. I know you know it.”
“He’s just angry,” I say, defending him a little, as instructed.
“He can’t stand losing control.”
I glance up and meet his eyes. “Sounds like someone else I know,” I snap.
He kneels down beside me. “I might like control, but I’m not a monster like him.”
Yes, you are. “He’s just hurting and-”
“He is going to hurt you. I know he will. He’ll make you suffer for defending me.”
“I wasn’t defending you,” I spit, then let my face fall with realization, as rehearsed. “I wasn’t . . .”
“It’s okay,” he says, soothingly. “It’s okay to accept that maybe your feelings towards me are different to what you first thought.”
“I hate you,” I try again, this time a little weaker.
“But you don’t, because you know what I said about him is true, don’t you, Lucy?”
Cue the tears again. “I love him,” I sob, brokenly.
“But he doesn’t love you. You’re just a toy in his game.”
“But maybe . . .” I protest lamely.
“You know I’m right. Come with me; stay for a few days. I can answer any questions you have about him.”
I look at him. Don’t give in too easily. He’ll know you’re lying.
“I don’t trust you,” I say, my voice hard.
“That’ll come with time. Come, stay the evening. I’ll feed you and we can talk. If you wish to go in the morning, you can.”
“I don’t believe you. You kidnapped me,” I assert, shifting backwards.
“For your own good, which you’ll see if you come with me.”
I look past him, hoping my features show confusion and concern. “I don’t . . . I don’t know.”
“Trust me, Lucy. I won’t hurt you.”
Lying pig. I look back to him. “I . . .”
“Come, you’re cold and upset.”
“But . . .”
“Come.”
He takes my hand, and I let him help me out of the car to my feet. He quickly shuts the door behind me. I hesitate some more, walking slowly, making him tug me along to the van. When we reach the door, I stop and wearily say, “I don’t know . . .”
“I won’t hurt you,” he says, and if I didn’t know better, I’d believe him. He’s that good.
“Okay,” I whisper, climbing into the van, but not before I catch the triumphant look he shoots the man next to him.
I’ve gotten him hook, line, and sinker.
He believes me.
Let the
fun begin.
CHAPTER 28
Nobody speaks the entire drive.
I make sure I stare out the window with a tight expression, ensuring I look confused and a little lost. I don’t want to give in too easily. The brothers are right; Josh isn’t stupid and will figure me out if I put one foot wrong.
We arrive and the three men get out before me, opening the door and staring expectantly in my direction. I hesitantly climb out, wrapping one arm around myself and staring at the group of men who have stopped to study me. They’re showing a mixture of shock, anger and surprisingly, compassion.
“I have to ask, do you have a phone on you?” Josh asks, falling in step next to me as we move towards the big shed.
“No, I didn’t bring it when I ran out. I just grabbed my keys.”
“That’s okay. I just wanted to let you know this is a phone-free place, and we all value that very much.”
I say nothing, just nod stiffly.
“You don’t need to be afraid,” he continues. “I won’t lock the door. It’s just one night, remember? Nobody is going to hold you here against your will.”
He’s a filthy liar, but if that’s what it takes to get me where I need to go, I’ll play along.
I nod stiffly.
“Come, freshen up and then join us for supper,” he says, leading me into the room he kept me in before.
I stare at my hands as he explains there are fresh clothes in the cupboard and the shower is just down the hall. A much nicer welcome than I received last time. I don’t say anything; I just sit on the end of the bed, waiting for him to leave.
“I know it feels strange right now, but I can assure you that once you’ve wrapped your head around the kind of man my brother is, it won’t hurt anymore. If you’ll trust us to take care of you, you’ll come to see that.”
Take care of me.
“Thanks,” I mutter to my hands.
“I’ll return in an hour to collect you for supper. Don’t let him into your thoughts; the first part of overcoming what he’s done to you is to stop the thought process in its tracks.”
I don’t say anything.
He finally leaves.
Now it’s time to put the plan into action.
~*~*~*~
The first thing I do is check the room for cameras. Sheldon is trained in the art of hiding them and told me all the locations they might be in. I subtly walk around the room as if I’m just looking, picking up books and reading, things like that. I find two cameras. I don’t look directly at them, but I do ensure I act confused and generally upset when I’m in front of them.