Chapter Twenty
I don’t callBryce and Max to tell them what’s happened. I can’t even begin to decipher what the hell went wrong, and I certainly don’t have the words to explain how our life together is about to be shattered. Of course, they would both argue that we could still make it work, and we would for a time. But I know I am right in my belief that eventually huge chasms would form between us from Hudson’s inability to be a part of what madeusso special. It would start with small things like not being able to show affection for fear it would hurt or upset Hudson, to constant arguments about why he couldn’t even try and make it work. That would lead to resentment and then, finally, loathing. I don’t want to destroy their relationship. I can’t be the one who breaks their bond, their love for one another. I am willing to sacrifice my happiness to maintaintheirs.
I sit on the edge of my bed, the cold seeping into my bones. It moves through the layer of skin covering my muscles, travels into my bloodstream and heads straight towards my heart. Icy, sweetheart, butterfly. The cold seeps around their names for me, encasing them inice.
Jester, man-mountain and…dragon.
Yes, that’s it. Dragon. It fits Hudson perfectly. His fire melted my ice, my ice put out the raging inferno within his chest. Then there’s the fierceness of his love for his brothers and for me, before he lost his memories. He had battled against his internal demons to allow himself to love me. Our protector, our saviour, ourdragon.
But what does it matter now? I’ll never get the chance to useit.
Glancing at the digital clock on my side table, I can see that it’s almost midnight. Hudson left the house hours ago, and I’m alone and bereft. Sleep won’t come, and there is no point trying to force it. In the end, deciding that I need a cup of tea, I head back down to the kitchen. The kettle boils as I stare out into the dark beyond the window, wondering how the hell we got here. This evening I’d wanted to relive all the memories with Hudson. I’d wanted to describe everything we’d been through together and then I was going to show him just how much I love him with my touch. Yet, I’d done none of that. I had pushed him and now I’d lost him, lost them all in my haste to fix something that couldn’t befixed.
I’m brought out of my melancholy thoughts by the sound of glass smashing downstairs. Instantly my back stiffens. “Hudson, is that you?” I say, even though something inside tells me it isn’t, that I should be keeping quiet rather than drawing attention to myself. Instinct rattles like a petrified snake over my skin. There’s no answer and no further sound of glass breaking. Perhaps I’d imagined it. Perhaps the sound had been my heart shattering onceagain.
“Tutti Frutti,” a singsong voice calls frombelow.
I stop in my tracks, a deer caught in headlamps.It can’tbe.
“That’s right, it’s me, your old friend Smithy. Nice place you got here. You’ve landed on your feet with this lot.” I can hear his laughter, it’s edged with a note ofmadness.
The sudden rush of my pulse scatters the flock of birds in my chest. They fly in all directions, my heartbeat matching their frantic flapping.Fuck.There is only one reason why Smithy is here, and it isn’t to say thanks for the money. I reach for my back pocket, expecting to find my mobile. It’s not there.Shit.It’s in my bedroom. Making a decision, I run for the stairs, acutely aware that he is climbing up towards thefloor.
Just as I reach the bottom step, he reaches the top. My movements seem to slow just as his speed up. Our eyes meet, and I instantly realise three things. The first, this isn’t about the money anymore; secondly, he has come to finish what he started; and thirdly, he doesn’t care if he’s caught. This is aboutrevenge.
He smiles slowly. “Your mum always loved to be chased. Like mother, like daughter, eh? Now look who’s on the run, quite fucking poetic, don’t you think?” Smithy laughs at his own twisted joke as I take the stairs two at a time, bounding towards my bedroom and my one chance to call for help. I have the advantage of fitness. Smithy is a big guy, and whilst I have no doubt he can pack a powerful punch, he isn’t as light on his feet as Iam.
I reach my door, push it open and slam it shut behind me. For the first time I wish it had alock.
“Tutti Frutti,” he calls in his twisted sing song voice. “There’s nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. I’ve been watching this house for days. The pigs aren’t as clever as they think they are. I gave them the elbow over a week ago. Fucking idiots wouldn’t know how to catch a snake in a sack. Not to mention the fact that none of your men are here either. I’d say we’re in for a fucking treat. I’m going to enjoy this way more than my time with your pretty littlefriend.”
Fuck, fuck,fuck.
Fear is trying its best to incapacitate me, I feel its claws clutching at my lungs, squeezing the air from them, but I force myself to calm down. To think. I have just seconds until he reaches me. With my back pushed up against the door I look frantically around the room. There’s nothing to barricade the door with. Making a decision, I sprint towards my phone which is on the side table beside my bed. Just as I pick it up, Smithy slams the dooropen.
“What do you think you’re doing?” he spits, anger contorting his face as he notices the phone in my hand. I press my thumb against the screen, the light flashes on. Bryce and Max are both on speed dial, I just need to take my eyes off Smithy for one second in order to call one ofthem.
“Put the fucking phone down, Tutti Frutti, and I’ll make sure I’m gentle,” he snarls, his twisted features telling me that being gentle has never been part of his make-up. Violence runs through his blood, he thrives onit.
“Fuck you,” I say, glancing down and hitting the icon that represents Bryce. I just hope he picksup.
Bryce answers immediately. “Sweetheart, everythingalright?”
I don’t get to answer as Smithy rushes forward and punches me on the cheek. My head snaps back with the force as the phone flies out of my grasp, smashing against the mirroredwardrobe.
“I told you to put the fucking phone down,bitch.”
Instinctively, I make a dash towards my mobile and the muffled panic of Bryce’s voice at the other end of it, but Smithy knows what I am about to do and yanks me backwards by my hair. I let out a panicked scream, my hands flying up to my head as he pulls me to the floor. I hit the ground, landing on my coccyx. Pain ricochets up my spine from the force. Immediately, Smithy is on top off me, pinning my hips down with his weight. If he thinks I’m not going to fight, he is sorely fucking mistaken. I thrash my arms up at him, managing to claw his cheek with myfingernails.
“YOU FUCKING WHORE!” he screams, raising his own hand and slapping me across my cheek once again. Still I fight back, even though his strike has my head spinning and black spots floating in front of myeyes.
I buck my hips, twisting and turning frantically in my attempt to throw him off me, but he is strong. Pinning my arms to my side, he leans over me and snarls, his lip curling in delight at myhorror.
“This is going to be so much fun, Tutti Frutti. Whatever these men have been giving you will pale into comparison to what you’re about to receive fromme.”
“Fuck you,” I pant, fury and fear making me brave. I receive another slap for myinsolence.
Smithy leans closer. I can feel his excitement press against me. Bile rises up mythroat.