Although traveling home should have flown by, it moved at a snail’s pace. I didn’t have any hold ups, and all flights were on time. Amazing what happens when you offer to fly on stand-by out of the country. The ticket prices were gouged, but I had to get out of New Zealand.
The taxi driver welcomed me in my boring state of Illinois, and a cold, rainy night came along with him. He didn’t speak a lick of English, and I was fine with that. I didn’t want to talk to anyone, fearful that I’d start crying for the umpteenth time.
Jake broke my heart with his lies. I didn’t know what to believe anymore. I probably should have booked a flight to some small island and disappeared from both Martin and Jake, but that wasn’t logical. I needed to strap down and finish a manuscript, make a good chunk of money, then flee the country.
When we pulled up in front of my home, it was still raining. The mums hadn’t died like I thought they would when I came home, but then again, I was supposed to be gone for a month, not only five days.
How did I fall hard for a man and get my heart shattered in only five days?
Paying the cab driver and grabbing my luggage, I muddled my way to the front door, not caring that the rain was getting me soaked. It helped hide the tears that kept shedding out of my control.
It also sent flashbacks of Jake and my make-out session under the willow tree in the storm.
Everything was reminding me of Jake within the two day shit show of getting home. A man sat next to me on my first flight who was obsessed with mountain biking, and wouldn’t shut up about it. Then, when I was waiting for a coffee, and the people behind me were talking about a book in the same genre as what Jake wrote. My last flight, I sat next to a woman who carried on her cat, who had the same coloring as Shepley.
Turning the key, I came inside, not bothering to bring my suitcase upstairs with me to unload it. I was going to curl under my covers and cry until I passed out, not caring how long that would be. I had nothing planned, and nothing to look forward to. My phone would stay shut off until I could handle seeing all of the missed calls, messages, and texts from Jake. Which right now felt like it would be never. In fact, whenever I felt like I could get out of bed, I’d go to the phone store and get a new number.
Finally making it up the stairs, I noticed a glow from my bedroom. I probably left the side lamp on, it wasn’t uncommon for me to do.
More than ready to flop onto my bed, I crossed through the threshold, only to be scared stiff in my tracks. There was Martin, sitting on the edge of the bed as if he had been waiting for me to come home from a trip.
“Hello, sweetheart,” he purred, remaining seated on the edge of the bed. “How was New Zealand? Everything you dreamed it would be?”
My tongue got caught in my throat. Every bone in my body was screaming at me to dart down the stairs and run after the cab, or just run as far away as I could, but nothing would move. Even my jaw stayed slacked open in shock.
“So happy to see me that you can’t think of the right words to say?” He sneered, cocking his head. His blue eyes were as cold as ice, nothing compared to the dull blue button up he wore paired with dark jeans. “I’m thrilled to see you.”
“You’re not supposed to be here,” I croaked, my voice sounding as weak as my terrified muscles. “We agreed-”
He shook his head, his death stare silencing me. “That was when I couldn’t prove you were having an affair.”
My brows furrowed. “I’ve never cheated on you.”
His crooked smile came to attention, although a smile should make you feel warmth, this grin was deadly, sending chills up and down my spine. “No? Then why would you escape to another country with a man you’ve talked to on the internet? I’m not a moron, Corrine. I know all about your late night conversations with Colton ‘Jake’ Stanton.”
My eyes darted to the ground, irritated that Martin knew his name before I did. No doubt he’d been tracking him for some time. Jake said he was good at finding people who wanted to disappear. Well, so was Martin, at least he knew who to hire.
“It was for work,” I muttered. “We collaborated in writing. You’ve always known that.”
He cocked his head to the opposite side, furrowing his brows as if he were thinking. “Is that what you called it? Collaborating? Didn’t know you had to do that in person. Unless, all those extremely inappropriate and graphic stories you sent to him needed to be tested out.”
I clenched my jaw, anger bubbling inside of me. “You’re out of line, and need to get out of my house.”
He arched a brow. “So you don’t deny it?”
I crossed my arms. “I don’t need to confirm or deny. We aren’t married anymore, so that makes it none of your business.”
He slowly stood, rubbing his hands along his shirt to make sure there weren’t any creases. He was calm and posed, not something I’d have expected, but it was also frightening. He always blew up out of nowhere, being completely fine one moment, then a raving lunatic the next.
Both his hands were on his hips when I stepped backward. “You are my business, Cora. You might think because we’re divorced that it means you can go around fucking some random ‘writer’ that you had developed some type of bullshit feelings for while we were married, but I’m here to tell you, I won’t allow it.”
Taking another step toward me, he continued in his calm and collected voice. “I have photos of the two of you, and those photos will get me my house.”
“You’re a liar,” I spat, calling his bluff. He wasn’t going to intimidate me with such outlandish bullshit. I decided to divorce him because I was sick of his bullshit, and if sticking up for myself might get me hurt, it would be worth it. “Even if you had photos of Jake and myself, it wouldn’t mean shit. We’re divorced, this house is mine, and I’m going to call the police if you don’t leave.”
He lifted his chin, eyeing me suspiciously. “Where did my weak bitch of a wife go?”
“I’m tired of your games, Martin. If you don’t walk down the steps and leave, I’m calling the police.”
He tilted his head as if he were contemplating his options. Sick of his lackadaisical attitude and lack of respect for my wishes, I pulled out my phone from my back pocket and hit the power button.
Just as the apple lit up, a stiff hand swiped across my face at a lightning speed, smacking me square across the jaw and knocking me to the ground. I squealed from the burn, grabbing my face as if it would take away the pain.
“Yeah, I don’t think so,” he grumbled, grabbing a hand full of my hair. It tugged painfully on my head, causing me to screech. “Shut up, you cunt. I’m taking what’s mine.” Yanking me to my feet, I bit my lip to keep from whimpering.
Tossing me to the bed, he pinned me on my back, grabbing hold of both my wrists. I fought against him, squirming under his body and thrusting my arms in attempts for him to let go. He might have been stronger than me, but I was willing to fight him until I didn’t have any strength.
“It’ll only make it worse if you fight me,” he muttered, finagling both my hands together in one of his strong grasps so he could reach for his back pocket. I kicked and fought more, knowing he was weakened and trying to do multiple tasks.
He pulled out a roll of duct tape, biting the edge and ripping a piece off, then maneuvering it around my squirming hands. It stuck to my sweaty hands, the ripping of the duct tape roared in my ears as he continued to wrap it around
“What is your problem?!” I shouted, kicking my legs more forcefully while he sat on my pelvis. “Have you lost your fucking mind?”
Ripping the duct tape with his teeth, he forced my hands above my head, the motion awkward and painful. Getting into my face, his breath was hot when he spat, “No, I lost my wife, and that pisses me the fuck off.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t have been such an abusive prick,” I whispered against his lips, debating biting his nose so hard that I’d rip it off. I was furious with him pulling this shit, no longer afraid, but pissed that he couldn’t let me go.
“Maybe you should have been an obedient wife,” he muttered, pressing his lips to mine.
I shook my head, not wanting his mouth to touch mine. “What, baby? Didn’t you miss me while you were gone? I think I deserve a kiss.”
“You don’t deserve anything,” I muttered through clenched teeth.
He scowled. “I think that’s enough of your opinion.” Taking the duct tape, he ripped another piece with his teeth, forcing it over my mouth. I screamed, but it was no use. The duct tape only muffled my cries.
He stayed hovering over me, his icy eyes glaring down at me. He was spiteful, his animosity for how everything went down clear. He was here to take whatever little bit of spirit I had left inside of me, and the fight I had built up was beginning to fade. My anxiety began to creep up, overpowering my anger and morphing into fear.
“We’re going to have one last night of fun together,” he murmured, leaning down and kissing my forehead.
A tear rolled down my cheek against my will.
“Don’t cry, I’ll be sure to make it fast,” he promised, a sinister smile crossing his lips.
Another tear fell, and I was regretting not trusting Jake. If he wanted to hurt me, he would have done it the first night, not be patient with my quirks and insecurities about being intimate. If I had stayed with Jake, I wouldn’t be duct taped and silenced, fighting for my life.
Martin moved down my flailing hips and legs, sitting on my thighs to stop them from thrashing. Holding down my arms with one hand, he lifted my shirt with the other, yanking on my bra to reveal my breasts. “Your tits are still shitty.”
Then, a gravelly voice with a familiar accent rang through the room. “I think her tits are pretty fucking amazing.”
Martin’s eyes narrowed, his head whipping around. I couldn’t see past his frame, but I knew the owner of the voice. A sob escaped me, muffled against the tape over my mouth, my eyes clenching closed with hope, knowing whose voice it was.
“Well, if it isn’t internet boy,” Martin smirked. “You can have a piece of her first, but I want her last.”
My body froze. Did I get this all wrong? Were they friends? Did Martin use Jake to trap me? How fucked up of a story would that be.
“I suggest you get off of her,” Jake said in a low voice.
“Or what? You’ll kill me in one of your books?” Martin laughed, squeezing one of my breasts with his hands so hard that I winced.
“You like it,” he shouted, pinching my nipple and causing an excruciating pain.
“Get your fucking hands off of her,” Jake commanded, his tone loud enough for Martin to remove his hand.
Martin’s eyes narrowed, and he climbed off me, standing at the edge of the bed and glaring at Jake.
I gasped into the tape when Jake came into view, my eyes wide when I saw him aiming a gun at Martin. No sign of apprehension was on his face as he cocked the trigger. He was locked and loaded, and terrifying. The brown of his eyes were focused and steady, never leaving sight of his target. Nothing about Jake was friendly and inviting. If anything, he portrayed stone cold killer perfectly. By how skittish Martin was, Jake must not have pulled out his gun until now.
“I didn’t want to have to do this,” Jake warned, pointing the gun at Martin. “At least not in front of Cora.”
“You’ll be a dead man if you shoot me,” Martin laughed, his hands finding his pockets. “I know a lot of people you wouldn’t want for enemies.”
Jake smiled as if he enjoyed Martin’s comment. “The more the merrier, bloke. Let’s go have a talk, shall we?”
Martin glanced at me, then shrugged his shoulders. “Not sure why you’re so upset. She wasn’t faithful to me, so she sure as shit won’t be faithful to you. Not to mention how terrible of a wife she was. Good luck getting laid after the first few months.”
“She didn’t bat her eyes at me once while you were married. I’d say you were the arse in the relationship. Let’s go,” Jake instructed, keeping the gun on Martin.
“I’ll be back, Love,” he said over his shoulder, a softness to his tone that a man holding a gun wouldn’t normally possess. He lead Martin out of the room, leaving me stuck with my hands tied on the bed.
Thankfully, I had the use of my legs, worming my way to my feet from the bed. I needed the use of my hands. No doubt Martin wasn’t alone. I’m sure he hired a thug to be nearby. He wasn’t one who forgot about detail. By how he was sitting here waiting for me, he knew about New Zealand the moment I bought the plane ticket.
With one eye closed from Martin’s blow to my face, I rushed to the corner of the nightstand, maneuvering my wrists so the tape could be rubbed against the sharp edge. I knew I didn’t have much time, so my movement became frantic, the urgency to help Jake fueling my adrenaline.
After a few moments, the tape had been loosened and torn enough for me to wiggle my hands free. Tearing off the tape from my mouth, I winced, refraining from letting out sounds of pain. Tossing the left over tape on the floor, I collected myself, running through options on what I should do next.
I hid a bat underneath my bed the moment Martin left. Crouching down to grasp the wood shaft, I yanked it out, twisting it between my trembling hands. My knuckles were white from gripping the bat so tight.
Taking a deep breath, I prowled to the hallway, tiptoeing to avoid the rare creak in the floor. No noise was being made from downstairs, so I had no clue where Jake had lead Martin. A sinister side of me secretly wished he’d shot him and dumped him where no one would find him, but I knew that would only cause more trouble for both of us.
Besides, I didn’t want Martin to die, I just wanted him to leave me the hell alone.
When I reached the bottom of the stairs, the lights were still out, and I heard hushed voices in the living room. Another man was crouched down, watching them without being seen as I was. He had a gun ready, and I knew I needed to target him before he snuck up on Jake.
I crept toward him, prepared to swing and take him out. No way was Martin going to double team Jake. As I took a step, the man’s head turned, catching me in his peripheral. He shot me a glare, holding his hand to his lips as if to silence me.
I bit my trembling lip, terrified this mystery man with a gun was on Martin’s side and not Jake’s.
“What do you really think you’re going to do to me?” Martin laughed at Jake. “Frame me?”
“You’re going to sign and abide by the restraining order to stay away from Cora.”
“Corrine didn’t request a restraining order. If I want to come to my house, I will.”
“Not your house anymore, buddy. A man with your intelligence should be able to understand a court contract. I know your divorce papers state clearly who owns this house. Papers are on your work desk. Go sign them now, or in the morning, and stay away from her,” Jake growled. He still had the gun pointed at Martin, but it didn’t faze him enough to follow orders.
“Why are you so into her, anyway?” Martin asked. “I’ve already got enough on you to put your ass in a jail cell, what makes her so worth it? She was fucking me the whole time she was talking to you.”
“She’s my friend, and I care about it. If her sleeping with her husband is supposed to bother me, then I’m an asshole. What does bother me is you raping her.”
Martin scowled. “I never raped her. She was my wife, sex is a must.”
Jake shook his head. “It’s never a must. She says no, you stop, you dumb fuck.”
Martin gave a wicked grin. “She never told me to stop.”
“Duct taping her mouth might make it hard for her to be clear. The jerking of the body trying to throw you off of her might be a clue. Then again, you don’t pick up on subtle hints. Your last client that went bankrupt would agree.”
Martin’s eyes narrowed. “That wasn’t my fault.”
“Couldn’t have been good for your PR.”
“You don’t know shit about my business or my marriage, and quite frankly, I’m pretty fucking irritated with you right now.” Martin took a step forward, disregarding the gun in Jake’s hand.
“For the tenth time, you’re not married anymore,” Jake muttered, keeping the gun upright.
“That’s what you think. Paper doesn’t mean a thing. This house and that bitch are mine.”
Jake lunged forward, throwing a punch square across Martin’s jaw with his pistol.
Martin yelped at impact, and Jake was on top of him, throwing blow after blow with his fist. The man that was crouched down was no longer there, but was running into the living room.
I sprinted after him. “Jake, watch out!”
It was too late, the man had a grip on Jake’s arm, pulling him off of Martin’s shriveling body.
Still holding the bat in my hand, I went to swing it at the unknown man, only to have Jake step in front of me and grab it. “He’s with me, Love,” he said through heavy breaths.
My eyes bounced from Jake to the other man, who only gave me a nod.
“Here to make sure Jake wouldn’t do anything dumb. I’m Ben.”
“What the fuck?” Martin spat through blood. “You’re supposed to be working for me!”
Ben shrugged his shoulders, holding his gun up to Martin. “Sorry, my loyalty lies elsewhere. I’ll keep your deposit, though.”
Jake furrowed his brows at Ben. “He hired you to come after me?”
Ben bobbed his head back and forth. “Maybe, but I didn’t want to tell you. I knew you’d take it more seriously if I said he was after Cora.”
“This is a bunch of bullshit!” Martin shouted. He was still on the ground in a crumpled mess from Jake beating the crap out of him.
“Shut the fuck up,” Ben yelled, standing over top of him. “Get on your feet and move.”
Just as Martin was about to spit more fire, sirens sounded outside of the house with lights flashing through the blinds.
Ben nodded to Jake. “That’s my backup. Put your gun away.”
Jake tucked his gun behind his back and grabbed my wrist. “Come on, Love. We’ve got to get our stories straight.”
“What?” I asked in bewilderment.
He tugged me into the kitchen, then held me to his chest.
“Are you alright? The police are going to ask you what happened. You need to tell them you applied for a restraining order before you traveled to New Zealand.”
“But I didn’t-”
Jake shook his head rapidly, stopping me from speaking. “Cora, if you want him to stay away from you, you have to do this. They won’t ask you ever again. I promise.”
My eyes were wide, and I only nodded. He stroked my cheek with one strong hand, and all of the adrenaline in my body turned into mush, and tears welled in my eyes. I wrapped my arms around his waist, letting out wails into his chest. Jake only stroked my hair, keeping me close to him. I was a wreck, but I was safe in his arms, knowing Martin was about to be brought to justice.
“I’m still mad at you,” I grunted into his chest, squeezing him tight while the cops came flooding into my home. They circled around Ben and Martin, two of them yanking on Martin’s arms for him to stand, while Ben began to read him his Miranda Rights.
Jake kissed the top of my head. “I know, but I had to follow you. I knew he was up to no good.”
I trembled in his arms, putting the pieces together on who he really worked for. “And you lied again.”
He gently grabbed my jaw, meeting my frightened eyes. “I know, but I couldn’t tell you I worked undercover. It would have made everything worse.”
I understood, but still felt betrayed. Taking a deep breath, I nuzzled back into his chest, thankful he had rescued me even though I had pushed him away.