HER MONSTER
Sam Crescent
Copyright © 2018
Chapter One
The sound of breaking bones didn’t help Caleb Carson’s need for vengeance. He stared at the man whose hand he had just shattered, and he felt nothing. This was not going how he hoped. Stepping away from the bleeding man, Caleb took the cloth from one of the men and thanked him for it.
“I gave her to you. Why are you doing this?” the man sobbed.
Caleb stared at the man who three weeks ago had given him his daughter, Faith Grey. She was eighteen years old, and quiet. She also looked at him for a long time as if he was going to hurt her. This man wanted to use his daughter to pay his debts, debts that were constantly growing as he didn’t pay them off in any other way. There was no way Caleb could let Faith go, or allow this asshole loose. The only problem was now he didn’t want to push Faith out onto the streets. Those were all problems he’d deal with closer to the time. He’d taken Faith as payment to protect her. That first look at her and the fear in her eyes, and he’d not been able to say no. His instant need to take care of her had completely surprised him. He rarely cared about women, apart from the pleasure he got from them. He certainly didn’t care what happened to them, but when it came to Faith, she’d broken down a wall within him that he couldn’t seem to rebuild. He had to keep her safe, and that meant killing this piece of shit.
“Is it because of her scar?” the dad asked.
He turned back to the dad and glared at him. Grabbing the back of the fucker’s head, he lifted it up. “What the fuck did you say?”
“The scar. I know it’s ugly, but she’s a good girl. A virgin girl. No one else will touch her. You can train her to be exactly what—”
Caleb plunged the knife he was holding into the man’s neck. He didn’t want to hear anymore coming out of his mouth. He was so fucking disgusted.
The sound of gurgling filled the room, and it didn’t give him a single ounce of satisfaction. In fact, it filled him with more rage.
No one spoke, and he was pleased about that, as otherwise his need for blood would move to one of them. Twisting the blade out of the dead bastard’s neck, he wiped it on the man’s clothes before stepping away.
Faith belonged to him now, and there was no way he was letting her go. She’d been given to him to settle a debt, and over the past three weeks, he’d watched her, seeing the fear in her eyes every time she looked at him. He didn’t like that. He didn’t know what it was, but each time he looked into her pretty green eyes he wanted to protect her.
The scar ran down the right side of her face, going from her eye toward her lip. It wasn’t ugly.
He’d not discovered why it was there yet, but he would.
“Clean this piece of shit up,” he said, stepping out of the warehouse. The moment he was free of the building, he took a deep breath. Staring up at the beautiful clear blue sky, he smiled. He could think clearly now. He didn’t know how long it would last, but until his need to kill came again, everything felt clear.
Running his fingers through his hair, he stepped toward his car and fired it up.
The moment he pulled out of the warehouse, his cell phone began to ring. His brother, Beast Carson, was calling.
“Enjoy your fun.”
“What the fuck do you want?”
“I want to know if you’re done killing the dad.”
This was just one of the reasons why Beast was in charge. He knew what everyone was doing.
“I’m done. I want information though.”
“About the girl we’re not talking about.”
“I want to know how Faith Grey got her scars.”
“Would you like me to pay a visit, look her over?”
Caleb knew without a shadow of a doubt that Beast wouldn’t hurt Faith. His brother only had eyes for one woman in his life, and even though Hope was the same age as Faith, he’d never seen his brother so smitten before.
“No. I want to know how she got it.” The last thing he wanted was for Faith to be afraid of him even more. It was bad enough that she looked ready to run when he entered a room. No matter, if she was eating, reading, watching television, within a matter of seconds, she was gone.
He rubbed at his eyes.
He was a monster. There was no doubt about that, but he wouldn’t hurt her. To everyone else he was the monster. Faith knew his business. She knew that he killed for a living.
Rubbing at his eyes, he pulled into the parking lot outside of his home. He lived about thirty minutes away from Beast. He could have easily lived with his brother, but he liked his privacy. Also, there were moments where he didn’t want to remember what he did for a living.
They were a crime family. The Carsons had run their section of the city with an iron fist. Blood and death were what he’d known all of his life. Where other kids were learning how to grow up, he’d learned how to handle a gun, knives, and to torture the answers out of everyone.
He was good, but Beast was better.
Caleb was more than happy for his brother to take the lead. Being the head of the Carson family was not what he wanted to do. He was more than happy with taking orders.
Staring up at his home, he caught the green-eyed beauty sitting near the library window. She always sat there. Always stared out across the gardens. Not for the first time, he wondered what she was thinking about. Climbing out of his car, he pocketed his cell phone and went straight toward the kitchen, where Anne was making dinner.
She’d been part of the Carson family for decades. She knew what they did but turned the other way, cooked, and organized cleaners for them. He wouldn’t have anything happen to her.
“Hello, Mr. Carson.”
No matter how many times he told her to call him Caleb, she wouldn’t do it. She liked to have that formality between them.
“Has our guest eaten something?”
Anne frowned. “She did. Nibbled on some toast, made her excuses, and she’s been up in that library staring out at God knows what. I don’t get it. She’s going to start wasting away.”
She’d been on the fuller side. Her clothes read a size eighteen, but in the past few weeks, he’d noticed those clothes were getting loose on her. He didn’t like it.
“Make us both a sandwich,” he said.
Anne didn’t question him, and began doing what he asked. He waited for her to finish watching as she placed a slice of ham, cheese, and pickles on one side, spread the other with mayo, and put them on a pretty plate.
“Thanks.”
He took both of their plates and headed straight toward the library on the second floor. Outside the door, he paused, wondering if she’d be able to cope with eating in the same room as him. He’d never hurt her, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t afraid. Caleb understood fear, and he respected it. Just because he’d never hurt her didn’t for a second mean, he couldn’t.
Opening the door, he returned her wave. She sat near the window with her knees pressed up against her chest. He felt this overwhelming need to … protect her. He didn’t get it. She wasn’t his responsibility, but sending her out there in the world, it didn’t feel right, not to him.
“If you don’t eat something soon, Anne’s going to have a fit.” He moved toward her, putting their plates on a nearby table and carrying a chair to sit right in front of her. “Anne’s the cook.”
“I know who she is,” she said.
There was no attitude as she spoke. She offered him a smile. He liked the sound of her voice. It was gentle, kind, a little raspy from not being used.
Handing her a plate, he stared into her pretty green eyes. “You’ve got to eat.”
Without question, she took the plate he offered.
Sitting in front of her, he picked up a sandwich and took a large bite. “Eat.”
This time she did, and her eyes closed.
“You like pickle and mayo together?”
“Yep, love it.”
This time she took a bigger bite, and he couldn’t help but smile. Beast thought his sandwich combinations were disgusting. It may just be pickle and mayo, but as far as he was concerned, that equaled success.
“Can I ask you a question?” she asked.
“Sure.”
“How long will I be staying here?”
He paused mid-chew. “You’re not happy here?”
“It’s a beautiful place, but it’s not my home, and I don’t really know what’s going on. My dad just told me to go with you, be good, do whatever you wanted, and to stay out of your hair until you needed me.”
“You won’t be going back home.” Caleb watched as she paled.
“Ever?”
“Ever.”
“What … erm … what will I have to do?”
He saw her hand shake a little, and he didn’t like it. “You’re just going to have to learn the grounds a little longer. You don’t have to stay trapped up here in the library. You’re not a princess waiting for your prince to come.”
Her cheeks heated.
“I wasn’t waiting for that. I was just … I like libraries. They’re usually very quiet, and no one comes in here. I can go anywhere?”
“Anywhere you like. The gardens, the pool, anywhere.”
“I can’t swim,” she said.
“One day I’ll teach you.” He finished his other sandwich and watched her deep in thought. “What about school?”
“What about it?”
“Do you need me to get some books? Help you get settled in?”
“I don’t go to school.”
“Why not?”
“Dad pulled me out three years ago.” She pointed at her scar. “We left town, and I never went back.”
****
Faith knew she shouldn’t be surprised that she wasn’t going home. One day her father would push too hard, and he wouldn’t be able to talk himself out of shit. Caleb stared at her scar. There was no disgust on his face like there had been with other people, or even her father. He hadn’t been able to look at her when it happened.
Getting hit by a car had sucked, like, mega fucking sucked. What didn’t help, it wasn’t an accident. Nope! Her father owed a bad debt, and because he hadn’t paid up, they’d struck her down. It was at that moment, getting out of the hospital, that she realized to her father she meant nothing.
He’d hated what had happened to her, but part of her had been sure it was because she was damaged goods. He’d always been on her case to lose weight, to make herself beautiful. To do things that she hated.
“And that scar?” Caleb asked.
“That was business Dad couldn’t take care of.”
Caleb’s lips pursed. He was a handsome man. Dark, scary, but he was sexy with it. She glanced down at his hands, and his shirt sleeves were rolled up, showing off his inked arms. They were thick, muscular, and let her know without a shadow of a doubt that he could probably kill someone with his bare hands.
“Are you going to kill me?” she asked.
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because I don’t kill little girls.”
“I’m far from little, and I’m not a girl.”
He shrugged. “You’ve done nothing to piss me off.”
“My father has.”
“Your father will be taken care of.”
She frowned. “Then why take me?” She’d finished her sandwich, and he took her plate.
“Your father is a piece of shit. I’m not going to lie to you. I imagine he’s in deep with a lot of people. I’m just the first guy to come calling. If he was willing to hand you over to me, what else do you think he’d be willing to do?”
She nodded. “Fair enough.”
“You’re not shocked by that.”
“I got this because of him. Nothing that man does surprises me anymore.” She wished it had. The only reason she’d remained with him after turning eighteen a few months ago was purely because she had nowhere else to go. If she had, she’d have been long gone.
Her father never scared her. His gambling habit had, and how far he’d been willing to go.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t try to sell off your virginity.”
She burst out laughing. “He’d have been pissed for sure on that one. You can’t sell something that’s not there.”
Her cheeks heated when he stared at her. “You’re not a virgin?”
“Did he tell you that?”
“He didn’t tell me shit.”
He didn’t seem angry.
“I’m sorry,” she said.
“You’re eighteen. When did you have time to lose it?”
She smiled. “I’m sure you were younger than eighteen when you lost yours?”
“That’s beside the point. There’s a real difference here.”
“Oh, yeah, what is it?”
“I’m a man.”
“Wow, that is not sexist at all.”
“It’s the truth. It’s different for men. We have certain urges.”
She was shocked, and she couldn’t help but laugh. “Yeah, well, so do women as well.” Then her cheeks heated up.
“How old were you when you lost your virginity?” he asked, and she was more than pleased that he didn’t want to linger on needs.
Did she have urges?
Reading romance books, at least the ones with the dirty sex that were all the rage right now, she certainly wanted to know what it was like. The men described in the books were so devoted and loyal to their women. They didn’t just hump away, and leave you wanting for more.
“I was actually sixteen, and I made the decision myself.”
He kept on staring at her, and it made her very uncomfortable.
“I knew Dad would one day risk doing something incredibly stupid. I don’t know. I just, I wanted that to be … my choice.”
Silence fell between them.
“I notice you didn’t say special?”
Faith couldn’t help but laugh. “It wasn’t special. I promise you, it was anything but special.” It had hurt, and been over way before she knew what was really happening. It had been with a guy who kept noticing her and asking her out. She’d spent a lot of time at the local library, as her father had already pulled her out of school. At first, the guy had been interested because of her scar, which she found weird. Then, when she realized that it was her chance to do something completely rebellious, she’d used him. She remembered it was the first time a boy had ever noticed her. The entire thing hadn’t been great at all. She didn’t remember much from it, not even his name. She’d just blatantly asked him if he wanted to have sex. “I was safe though. Condom, and I even made sure I went for a check-up when we moved out of town to make sure he hadn’t given me anything.”
“Romantic.”
“It was still my choice.” Her stomach gave a little turn, and she hated that she’d told him the truth like that. It was her business. Why did she have to go and tell a complete stranger about her life? It was no one else’s problem, just hers. She’d hated every second of it, but she knew deep down, that she couldn’t trust her father. “Look where I am now, and I bet he’s not even asked after me.”
“You need to forget your father, Faith. He means nothing.”
She nodded. “Thank you for the sandwich.”
He took the plate from her, resting it on top of his empty one. She didn’t know what else to say.
“I’ll be in my office if you need me.”
She watched him walk away, not saying anything as he did.
Caleb Carson. She’d done an internet search on him, and some of the stuff that had come up wasn’t great, not at all. Of course, most of it was rumors and hearsay, but even still, her father had never been involved in anything good. Carson had links to prostitution, gambling, illegal fighting, stuff that she didn’t want to get messed up in, and yet, she had because of her father.
He had a really bad gambling habit, but he liked to drag everyone else down around him. It was his MO.
Turning back to her window, she bit her lip and waited for something to happen. Her mind was all over the place, and she really didn’t know what to do or say. For most of her life she’d been on her own. Sure, her father had been there somewhere, but she couldn’t rely on him to tuck her into bed at night or to read her a story.
No one had been around her for that. Nope, that had been all her. She read her own stories and tucked herself into bed, along with her bear.
She got herself to school every single day, made herself dinner, and just got through it. Now she lived in Caleb’s house, and she didn’t know what to do. Food was made for her, and she liked Anne, but she didn’t trust any of it.
Whenever she got comfortable growing up, something would always happen to suck her down, to make her regret trusting in anything, and that was why she never did.
Wrapping her arms around herself, she watched as Caleb stood outside. He was on his cell phone.
His time in the office didn’t last long.
From her vantage point, she could admire him.
Caleb was a sexy as sin kind of man. He always looked in control and confident. He was the man every woman wanted, and every mother wanted as well but told you to stay away from.
She wondered what he thought of her now, knowing she wasn’t a virgin. Had he hoped for a virgin?
What would it matter anyway? He would never look at her with interest. The women that threw themselves at him were probably gorgeous model types.
She was fat and had an ugly scar down her face.
There was no way they were even in the same league, and he was older.
He glanced up at the window, and she couldn’t look away from his piercing eyes. Did he always get what he wanted?
Faith couldn’t handle the stare, so she looked away, biting her lip as she did.
Climbing off the window seat, she left the library, complete with the book she’d been reading, and made her way upstairs to her room. Caleb’s home had a lot of stairs. Opening her bedroom door, she stared inside, once again amazed at the luxury before her. The apartments she’d lived in were nothing compared to this. In fact, this room was easily the size of two apartments.
Closing the door, she made her way to the closet and opened it up. Only a couple of pairs of jeans and shirts hung there, but she could imagine it full of clothing.
“Dream on, girl. You’re not going to live the fairy tale princess dream. This is not what this is about.”
In fact, she imagined once Caleb was bored, she’d be thrown out onto the street, or worse, forced to work for her keep.
Her future didn’t look good at all.