Chapter 18
Bethy
The breath stilled in my lungs as his dark eyes met mine. He was leaving. I wonder how many would die tonight. I wanted to ask questions, but I could see it written all over his face.
He needed to leave and I couldn’t hold him back. Something in me whispered he would stay if you simply wished it. I couldn’t do that to him.
“How long?”
“It may take all night.”
His lips crashed into mine in a biting kiss. Reaching around his head, I press myself into him. Kissing him deeper, kissing him harder.
“Will you come here?”
Holding my breath I wait for his response. I wasn’t so sure I was ready to hear. What if he didn’t? What if he did?
“Yes.”
And just like that my heart melted. Closing my eyes, I let the air tell me where he is. Each movement categorized by the shift of fabric.
Soon it was silent and I knew he was gone. Lying back, I drift between the here and now and the peace sleep brings.
The house phone ringing had my body jerking. Sweat formed on my body as if I knew the call was bad. Like I feared picking up the line. Was this a dream?
“Bethy?”
The whispered plea had my stomach clenching as it sank to my feet.
“Joycelyn?”
Oh god, please let this be a dream. I could hear the terror in her voice. Her fear almost a rancid taste in my mouth.
“There are men here. I don’t know what they want Bethy.”
“Where are the girls?”
“In the closet imunder the bed.”
I wasn’t so sure I liked that they were separated.
“Why are you under the bed?”
“It seemed to be the smart thing to do.”
Smart thing? Was it? I couldn’t think all I knew was someone was in the house with my Lilyanna and I was here where I couldn’t protect her.
“Bethy what do I do?”
“Call the fucking cops!”
She did that right? That was common sense. This was Joycelyn I was talking to.
“I should have done that.”
Oh, I was going to kill her. Peel her overly tan waxed skin from her body if anything happens to my girl. Reaching for my pants I place the phone between my shoulder and ear.
“Behty?”
“Yes?”
“I can hear them their outside the door.”
Her voice was barely a whisper.
Turning I look for my cell phone. Lark programed his number in there I hope. Running I grab it and look through my contacts it was taking too long.
“The doors opening…”
“Listen to me keep quiet and don’t move I'm coming okay?”
“Yes.”
Her hesitation spoke volumes. She didn’t have faith in me, not that I blamed her. Pressing the cell to my ear I try to focus on her labored breathing as I begged Lark to answer.
“Bethy?”
“Lark I need you.”
“Bethy..”
“There are men at Joycelyn’s house.”
I spoke so fast my tongue scraped my teeth painfully. I was bitting it in my need to tell him everything and keep my ears on the other line.
I could feel the cold over the line as his anger surfaced.
“Listen to me Kitten. Do not fucking move do you understand me? Don’t fukcing leave the house I'm coming.”
He wouldn’t make it, I could hear the unspoken words in his voice.
“Lily..”
“Will be fine, I'm coming.”
My instincts screamed to listen to, believe him, but the mother in me roared drowning out all sane reasoning.
“Bethy…”
Joycelyns screamed my name as the phone hit the floor. I could hear her body as it dragged across the floor. The sound fist meeting flesh was followed by another scream.
Then the sounds of little girls crying and men laughing. I broke. Something inside me crumbled and turned to dust. Dropping both phones I curl in on myself.
Mentally, at war. I needed to move to run to her to save my baby, but my mind checked out as if it closed in on its self. I couldn’t face it.
My instincts came roaring back. Slipping into my cloths I reach into the night stand. Joe left a gun and I wasn’t naive enough to never figure out how to use it.
Whenever he left and Lily was away, I would go practice. I never knew if I would need to use it on Joe and I didn’t want to be a statistic.
Running from the house I push with everything in me. The sound of my feet hitting the cement walkway as I ran sounded like gun shots in the night.
A darkness ate at me. Was I going to make it?