Chapter 30
Avidya
My heart jumped into my throat as the door was pushed open. Had Cody found me? How was he able to find me? Was there anything in this room I could use to protect myself with?
Zachariah peeked into the room with a look of pure relief as he spotted me. I felt the same way as my heart fell back to where it belonged in my chest. I let out a breath of relief at seeing my husband rather than anyone else.
“Avidya,” he sighed out, his shoulders visibly relaxing from the stress and worry for the past half hour.
“Hi,” I breathed out as I sat, unable to move. I stared at him wide-eyed.
“Are you okay?” he asked, stepping further into the room. His eyes looked me over as he asked.
“Yeah,” I whispered. I was okay for the most part. I wondered how much more I could take before falling and not able to get up once more. “Did you find him?”
“Yep,” he answered, walking to me and sitting down beside me before pulling me against his side. I melted into him, craving his touch. He was safe.
I had worried that he’d get hurt. I worried that Cody would get to me. I just plain out worried about everything.
“I have a few things I have to talk to him about before deciding what to do, but he can’t get to you,” Zachariah finished.
“You sure?” I couldn’t help but ask. I leaned my head against his shoulder, soaking up his reassurance.
“Positive,” Zachariah stated before pressing a kiss to the top of my head. “It’s up to you if you want to see him, or ask him anything.”
I took a deep breath before letting it out. Did I want to see the man that ruined my life? Would it make any difference to where I would be going afterward in life? Was there anything I needed to get off my chest?
“What is going to happen to him?” I asked before giving my answer. I lifted my head up, meeting my husband’s eyes.
“Well, after I get what I need, I’ll kill him,” he stated like we were having a conversation about what we were going to have for dinner later that night.
“Oh,” I breathed out. Why had I figured something different than that? I shouldn’t have.
“It won’t be in the house if that’s what you’re worried about,” Zachariah said.
“I’m just surprised,” I said. “I shouldn’t be.”
“I have kept my dealings away from you as much as I could so far,” he said, cupping my face with one of his hands. “I don’t ever want you to see that side of me if I can help it but this—this is something I can’t not do. Cody can’t live after I’m finished with him. He not only broke into our house, but he threatened my wife. I don’t take threats lightly. Ever.”
“Where is he?” I asked with a blink of my eyes.
“Currently in the kitchen,” Zachariah answered. “Tied to a chair most likely. Melio and Travis were in charge of getting him there, so I’m only able to assume how he’s contained.”
“They aren’t hurt, are they?” I asked, panic welling up once more. I didn’t want anyone to be hurt on my account.
“Not a hair out of place,” Zachariah stated, almost like he was amused that I cared about the family so much. How could I not? They have all done so much for me already, and yet I was a danger magnet.
“Alright,” I sighed out, knowing I had to at least see the man and find out myself why he wanted to get to me. “Just no killing in my kitchen.”
“Sure thing,” he hid his laugh by kissing me. His lips crashed into me harder than I expected, nearly pushing me backward. Zachariah expected it as he caught me, keeping his lips attached to my own as he deepened the kiss.
His warm tongue pushed its way into my mouth, not giving me a chance to argue against him. Not that I ever would, mind you.
I met him, pushing back against him once I gained my bearing. He was addicting. I could feel the kiss in my toes as he took control of my lips, one hand behind my head.
Pulling back, he gave me his sweetest, most charming smile that made my stomach do a flip.
My God, I loved this man.
“I love you,” I breathed out.
“And I love you,” he replied, pressing his lips to my own in one last scorching kiss before pulling back. “You’re mine.”
“Yours,” I agreed.
“Come,” he stated. “Let’s get this over with so I can have my wicked way with you.” He stood, holding his hand out to me. I laid my own hand in his, a blush covering my cheeks. I’d happily skip seeing Cody one last time to let this man I married have his way with me. Now and forever.
I let Zachariah lead me out of the hidden room and to the kitchen. I didn’t let go of his hand, fearing the loss of his touch if I did let go. Being hidden and safe brought back memories of the car accident and the time I had almost lost my husband. I still have no idea what will happen if I were to ever lose him. I couldn’t lose him. It wasn’t an option.
Entering the kitchen, I couldn’t stop the gasp that escaped my throat. There, sitting on one of the kitchen chairs, hands tied behind his back, was the one and only Cody. The man that was more than just a simple pain in the ass.
His head was hanging down with his chin nearly touching his chest as he breathed in faintly. I didn’t expect him to be passed out cold, but I knew better to know that he wouldn’t be in a fighting position when it came to my husband.
A year ago, seeing something like this would have frightened me to my core. I would have been in a crying panic to figure how Cody, a man I once thought was my father, would warrant being here before me in such a way, but now, I knew better than to question such things. Oh, I could question it and I’d get more of an answer than I’d likely bargained for.
On a normal day, I wouldn’t even want to see this man, knowing what I do now. Today was not a normal day; it was a day that I would get answers that I surely deserved.
“How long will he be out?” I asked, seeing both Travis and Melio who sat at the table. Each had a pocket knife they were fiddling with. They were both pretty good-sized, too. “Do you really need those?” I asked towards the knives.
“Most likely,” Travis shrugged. “Can’t shoot the man in the house, so we have to use other means to get the answers.”
“You have to clean it up,” I stated, glaring at the two. There was no way in Hell I’d clean up a bloodied mess.
“Already got that covered,” Zachariah said, pointing to the clear plastic tarp that was laid out underneath the man. “Easy clean. Mostly.”
“I’m not gonna ask,” I mumbled out as I wondered how often this happened. Yeah, better off not knowing on my part.
“Where did Jonas go?” Zachariah asked the two men.
“Went to clean up the mess outside. The two guards that were stationed outside were killed. Knife to the throat. Not sure where the knife may have ended up,” Melio explained.
“Explains why no one came running when the window broke. I bet one of them was on his side to get him this close,” Travis mused. Then, turning to me, he answered my question. “He should be awake soon enough. We’ll try to get answers in a polite way first.”
“But it doesn’t always work that way,” Melio said, playing with his knife. He flipped it over and over, careful to not cutting himself.
“Oh!” Travis stated, instantly alert as a thought popped into his mind. “Have you asked Zach about what we talked about yet?”
“Haven’t really had a chance to,” I said.
“Ask me what?” Zach asked, his voice lowering in warning.
“To practice handling a gun,” Travis answered for me. Well, he did have the anger-filled eyes pinned to him. “Figured it’d be a good idea for her, you know, with what we face quite often.”
“I’ll think about it,” Zachariah stated flatly. That didn’t sound too promising to me.
I had truthfully forgotten to mention it, but with the hours that Zachariah had been spending away from the house the last few weeks, it had slipped my mind. Given, it had been less than a week since I had spent time with my brother anyhow.
Wisely, Travis didn’t proceed with the thought.
A moment later, Cody began to awake, grunting as he tried to move his arms. For a man that prided himself about God’s word, he sure wasn’t too smart about getting into the place he was now.
As he regained consciousness, he grimaced, but otherwise didn’t say anything. I watched as Cody’s eyes widened in fear first, then turned pleading, as he spotted me. I wanted to laugh. How dare he think that he could use me as a way out of this.
“Avidya,” he breathed, my name as strong as yelling for the devil upon his lips. Him calling me by anything gave me chills that went straight down my back. “You aren’t safe here.”
“Oh, I am perfectly safe,” I stated, looking him up and down in disgust. His hair was turning slightly grayer, and his light brown eyes were shadowed in by lack of sleep and stress. But otherwise, he still looked like the hard man that I grew up with. Well, except for the bruise that was covering the side of his face, which looked like it happened just today.
“Please, child,” Cody pleaded with me.
“I’m not a child,” I interrupted, my voice unbreakable. “I am no longer a person you can boss around.”
“She is my wife,” Zachariah declared. “And you will talk to her with respect.”
“Why did you break in?” Travis asked, seeming to want to get to the bottom of this. I think we all did.
“You know where Lynn is. I want her back, and you too, Avidya,” Cody said, not taking his eyes off of me.
“I have no idea where she is,” I stated, squaring my shoulders. “But you could have asked nicely for that answer instead of just barging your way into my house.”
“Of course you know where she is! She called you!” Cody half yelled.
“Why would I know? She hasn’t called,” I lied. He didn’t need to know. My husband knew, that it was his duty to know such things. She hadn’t given me any information as it was when she called just days ago.
“She did! I know she did,” Cody seethed.
“You tapped my phone?” Zachariah said angrily.
“It’s not that hard to do,” Cody laughed in amusement.
Before I could blink or reply, Melio was up and out his chair. In the next moment, he punched Cody right in the face with force, causing his head to snap to the side. Blood began to pour from his nose.
“I won’t hesitate to do that again,” Melio grunted out.
“Now, you will answer. Why did you break in?” Zachariah asked. “If you don’t answer, you’ll meet one of their toys.”
At the words of a toy, Travis held up his knife while Melio crossed his arms over his chest, a look of pure fury on his face. Cody visibly gulped. Yeah, I wouldn’t want be on the bad side of these men either.
“I wanted my daughter. She wasn’t to be yours,” Cody wisely answered.
“What do you want with me? I am no one to you! My God, what were you thinking you could do with me? I’m not a pawn for you to use!” I seethed, fed up with this man. Who did he think he was? He was no God. He had no say over if I lived or died, or how I lived.
“I was offered a promotion of sorts if I handed you over,” Cody answered, his voice growing slightly stronger by the second.
“To who?” Zachariah barked out.
“Aaron Heartwell,” Cody said like he knew he couldn’t keep it quiet.
“You better give us more than that,” Travis sang out, twirling his knife around.
“He offered me if I deliver the package—the girl—to him, alive, I’d get whatever my heart desired,” Cody explained. “He’d help me find my wife, and get me back to where I need to be in the church.”
“Who else is out there?” Travis asked out next, not buying his answer.
“Why would I know?” Cody grumbled out.
“One last chance?” Zachariah said, taking a step forward.
“Fine!” Cody huffed. “One of my men, but he didn’t want to do what I requested.”
“Where is he now?” Zachariah asked impatiently.
“Dead,” Cody laughed, the kind of laugh that was filled with evil.
“This is going too easy,” Melio muttered out. I was just thinking the same thing. I was sure that someone like Cody Ray wouldn’t give such information out freely.
"You know what,” I said, coming up with an idea. “I think you are right.”
“What are you thinking, Kitten?” Zachariah asked, letting me walk to the table and take a hold of the knife from Travis, who looked on in awe. I had no plans of using the thing, but no one needed to know that.
With the knife in hand, my fingers curving just below the blade, it felt like I could handle such a toy. I was surprised that my hand wasn’t shaking with nerves, but really, it was almost like any regular kitchen knife I’ve used countless of times before.
“Are you sure she should use that thing?” Jonas laughed out as he entered the room slightly out of breath before whispered to my husband about the mess outside.
“I have many questions,” I stated. “Ones you will answer.”
“You won’t use that on me,” Cody said, clearly positive that I wouldn’t.
“I’ve changed,” I said, taking a step towards him. “I am not the little girl that was scared of her shadow anymore. I can handle myself pretty well. Living a life with Zachariah and his family, I’ve learned to defend myself in ways I never thought I would and I like it. I like the thrill of knowing I can not only save my own life but my husband’s.”
I knew what I was capable of. I knew my own limits, mostly. I at least had a good idea after being here for so long. I was much stronger than I ever gave myself credit for. I knew how far I could take this little thing right here in the kitchen, and I plan to do just that.
“So, you will answer, Cody,” I declared. “If not, I’ll be happy to make sure you do.”
“See, she’d do well with a gun in her hands,” Travis joked.
“Shut it,” Zachariah growled out, but I could hear his smile.
“So, once more. Why did you break into my home?” I asked, letting my hand with the knife fall to my side. I stopped just out of reach of Cody’s feet so he couldn’t try to kick me. I wasn’t going to put that past him.
“I told you,” Cody stated, head held high.
“Alright,” I said, giving into that answer. For now. “I’m sure you know about the hit on our life. Who was behind it?”
He remained quiet, refusing to answer.
“Aw, see, that will be the one thing you won’t answer,” Zachariah stated. “I knew that side of you would come out soon.”
“Answer the lady,” Travis sighed out.
“Why are you here, Travis? I thought you ran off to find that mother of yours,” Cody said, ignoring me now that he saw me as a threat.
Having enough, I took the tip of the knife and set it atop Cody’s knee in warning. I watched as his eyes quickly returned to me, wide with fear.
Would I really cause this man pain just to get a few answers?
Who was I turning into? This wasn’t me, was it?