Back To Me (5 page)

              Rage loomed deep within me and it took an immeasurable amount of restraint to hold back. Raul had Heather by the arm and was whispering something to her. She leaned back, trying to put as much distance between them as possible. I watched as he struck her across the face and without thinking, I drew my weapon. I had it aimed right at his head. One pull of the trigger and he’d drop. Done. Pretty boy bartender was too busy flirting with some bimbo, not paying any attention to Heather and the scene that was unfolding right under his nose. I kept watching, struggling about what to do. Sure I could shoot him, and I’d have no qualms about it whatsoever. But I knew his bodyguards were close and all hell would break loose, putting innocent bystanders in harm’s way.
Rule number two: Never go in unless your head is clear
.
Common good of the people and all that shit came rushing back as I slowly lowered my weapon. I had to let this play out, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t killing me.

              Raul hit her once and Heather crumpled to the floor. I wanted so badly to go to her, but I couldn’t. My knuckles were turning white under the strain of my fists; my arms aching to hold her and tell her it was okay. That I was here to save her. But who was I kidding? I’m no knight in shining armor. I bit my lip and held my breath, anxious to see what would happen next. Raul turned and threw money on the ground in her direction. I was silently begging her not to take the bait, and she didn’t.
Good girl.
If you ever took money from Raul, he owned you.

              Another waitress came over and helped Heather to her feet, yelling at pretty boy to get his ass in gear and take her to the back room. He picked her up and I was jealous that she was in his arms and not mine.
What the hell am I thinking! This is just business. I’m not here to rekindle our love and all that shit. I’ve got no room for that in my life. I laughed. Yeah, keep telling yourself that, you asshole!

              Knowing Heather was momentarily safe, I decided to follow Raul and his men instead. I slunk down the hallway, keeping my eyes and ears open. They had turned the corner, and most likely had already exited the back door. I still had my weapon drawn and ready, just in case. I put my back against the wall and took a deep breath. Stepping quickly, I aimed the gun straight in front of me to take out whoever happened to be standing in the way. As soon as I was in position, the door clicked shut, signaling they were gone. I bent over and put my hands on my knees, suddenly overwhelmed at being so close to Raul again. He was a monster. The absolute worst kind and I felt sick.

              I holstered my gun and wiped my face with my shirt. It was hot as hell with all these layers, but I needed to remain inconspicuous, at least until I was safely back in the truck. I walked back the way I came, still hugging the wall. I heard voices and one almost dropped me to the floor.
My angel
. God, it had been years since I’d heard her sweet voice and something inside me began to ache. I eavesdropped on their conversation, proving to myself that it was nothing more than a friendship. When I realized that’s all it was, I relaxed and allowed my lungs to take in air again.

              After they’d said their
touching
good-byes, I got in my truck and waited. Heather pulled out of Tommy’s parking lot, but I held back, giving her a bit of a head start. I wondered where she was going, because according to my GPS she definitely wasn’t headed in the direction of her house, and then it hit me. She was taking the long way in case she was being followed. I smiled proudly. She’d remembered all I’d taught her. I turned on the next street, knowing Raul and his buddies were long gone, and made a beeline towards her house. I needed to get there before she did.

7

Heather

              I pulled into the drive, overly anxious about the darkness once again. The ominous weather was moving in and the starless sky draped over me like a heavy cloak, weighing me down with alarm. I wasn’t usually so skittish, but after the events of tonight, to say I was on edge was an understatement.

              I finally convinced myself that I was being a big baby. I had lived alone for a while and I shouldn’t be so scared. Blowing out a breath, I finally gathered my courage and opened the creaky car door. I shut it quickly and then ran to the front door, fumbling around for my keys. I couldn’t find the keyhole fast enough. Once I managed to get inside, I cursed myself for not leaving the lights on. I
always
left the lights on when I knew I’d be coming in this late.

              I ran my hand along the wall, blindly searching for the light switch. I found it and flipped it up and down repeatedly, but nothing.
Dammit!
I knew my electric bill was late, but I hadn’t received a notice in the mail. Oh well, there was no time to worry about that now. I wasn’t staying. I needed to get packed and get the hell outta here before anyone came looking for me, which I’m sure after tonight’s events it was just a matter of time.

              I held my hands out in front of me, feeling my way in the dark. I cursed when my knee made contact with the coffee table, causing me to trip and fall over the couch. I undid the straps of my high heels and threw them across the room in frustration.
Damn my life!
I rubbed my knee, trying to get the feeling back. Once I was satisfied that I could walk, I tried once again to fumble my way through the house. As soon as I made it into the hallway, I heard a noise, but I was disoriented and couldn’t pinpoint exactly where it was coming from.

              I stopped and braced my hands on the wall as sweat started to form on my body. My heart raced when I saw the curtains moving in my bedroom with the balmy breeze. The window was open and I knew I hadn’t left it that way. I
never
opened the windows.

              As soon as that thought rushed through my mind, someone grabbed me from behind, wrapping one arm around my waist and putting their hand over my mouth with the other. I tried to scream, but it was to no avail. No one would hear me. I struggled against the intruder, but my small frame was no match for this beast of muscle. I kicked my legs about wildly, trying to land a target on the most special of areas, but even that didn’t work. I was too damn short!

              I wormed and wiggled, trying to get the monster to loosen their grip. I kept hearing a voice, but it sounded muffled in my frantic state.

              “Calm the hell down!” the man half-yelled and half-whispered. “I’m gonna let you go, angel, but you have to promise you won’t make a sound.”

             
Angel?
Oh, hell no. It couldn’t be. My body went stick straight as my heartbeat raced even faster. I was about to have a panic attack when he began whispering soothing words in my ear.

              “I’m not gonna hurt you, angel. You have to trust me.”

              I wanted to believe him. I really did, but him being in my house, in the dark no less, at almost two o’clock in the morning set off warning bells. I hadn’t seen him in six long years.
Why now?

              “Promise you won’t scream?” he asked, calmly.

              I nodded my head yes and he reluctantly turned me loose. I couldn’t help but notice the way his hand brushed the underside of my breast as he was letting go. He was still standing close, almost too close, as I could feel his muscular chest pressing against my back. I was afraid to turn around, but I had to. I had to look at the man that I had dreamed about for the last six years. The man I was still desperately in love with.

              I took a deep breath and pivoted, keeping my eyes closed. I waited only a brief moment before opening them. I couldn’t help myself. I had stared at his picture for years; I’d talked to him, I’d uttered my dirty little secret, and I’d whispered my love for him countless times. I had always wondered what it would be like to do that in person, but now that he was here I was scared to death, and at a loss for words.

              “Look at me, angel,” he whispered.

              “Billy?” My breath caught in my throat and my knees went weak. Just before I hit the floor, Billy placed his hands under my arms and caught me. He carried me into the bedroom and gently set me on the side of the bed. I just stared at him and he stared back. It had been so long, but he still looked the same. He was still
my Billy
.

              He knelt down, bracing his arms on either side of me, trapping me in. I couldn’t have run away even if I’d wanted to, which in that moment I didn’t. I was content to just stare into his mesmerizing green eyes that I’d missed so much and dreamt about almost every night. They usually haunted me, but not this time.

              After what seemed like a lifetime, but couldn’t have been more than just a few seconds, Billy finally spoke. “Angel, I don’t have time to explain, but I need you to just trust me. Can you do that?”

              I still hadn’t found my voice so I simply nodded my head yes. I wasn’t even sure what I was agreeing to. I was just so shocked that he was here; in my house and in my bedroom.

              Billy stood and went to my walk-in closet. He pulled my suitcase from the top shelf and began yanking clothes from the hanger, shoving them into the case without refolding them. Long sleeve, short sleeve, jeans, and everything in between; it was all going in without any thought. I stared, dumbfounded at the sight unfolding before me. When he was finished in my closet, he brought the case to the bed and zipped it closed.

              “Where’s another bag?” he asked.

              Again I sat like a mute, unable to force words past my lips. They were all right there, stuck on my tongue, and my brain was screaming for me to say something. I pointed him back towards the closet where he found a duffle bag. He brought it back to the room and then began pulling my panties and bras from the dresser. Just like before, it was all getting shoved into the bag hap-hazardously. When it finally registered what he was actually doing, panic set in and I began taking it all out, placing it back in the dresser. As soon as he had the bag packed, I had it unpacked just as quickly.

              I still hadn’t spoken a word, but I felt Billy watching me closely, obviously shocked and confused by what I was doing.

              “Angel, give me those.” Billy came and stood behind me, pressing his body into mine while he took the delicate undergarments from my hand. My breath caught and a shiver ran up my spine. How many times had I dreamt of him being this close to me? How many times had I pictured him being in my bedroom? Too many to count, but now that it was actually happening, I had no clue how to handle it. I dropped my head and turned loose of my disheveled nightgown.

              He took it and placed it back in the bag and then I heard the zipper close. And there it was; my life essentially packed up in less than five minutes. If it wasn’t so sad it would have been funny.

              “Angel, look at me,” Billy ordered again. I have to admit, though ashamed, I was a bit turned on by his commanding voice.

              I turned to face him, slowly and nervously. Billy moved closer, putting his large hand on my cheek. He was so close I could feel his sweet, warm breath on my face, and my knees wobbled. A sharp exhale of breath involuntarily escaped my mouth and he stepped backwards, apparently not affected the same way I was.

              “I need you to come with me. And please don’t ask me to explain.” He turned away from me and rubbed his forehead. His gaze was to the floor, and his voice was low.

              Anger slowly set in. Who the
hell
did he think he was? Coming to
my
house in the middle of the night, breaking in no less, and then telling me I needed to leave with him without explanation.
Hell no!
This time it didn’t take long for me to find my voice, and
dammit
, I wanted answers!

              “Billy, I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m not going anywhere with you!” I stated it firmly, but one look at him and I knew I was a goner. There was no way I would turn him down. He knew it, and I knew it.

              He walked across the room with purpose, skidding to a halt when our bodies were touching, once again, igniting a fire deep within me. I knew I had angered him by the way he was gritting his teeth and the vein bulging in his neck.

              “You
will
come with me if you want to stay alive. Is that clear enough for you,
Heather
? If you weren’t working in such a slut-infested hell hole, this could’ve all been avoided. You’re lucky I dropped everything to come and save your ass!”

              Billy had
never
spoken to me like this, and suddenly I was afraid. It was evident by his tone that he really
did
hate me, not that I blamed him. He had every right to. However, it didn’t excuse his tone or the cruel words he’d said to me.

              “So this is all my fault?”

              “Yes.” His eyes bore into mine, but then dropped almost instantly to my lips. Without thinking I licked mine in response, earning a growl from him. I squeezed my legs together, attempting to stop the pulsing sensation that was beginning to build.

              “Billy, I haven’t done
anything
. I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about or where you got your information, but you are free to leave. I don’t need you!” I screamed. As soon as the words were out, I knew they weren’t true. I
did
need him, but there was no way I’d ever admit it. Especially not to him and especially when he was making me feel like a burden.

              “You
are
coming with me. This isn’t up for discussion.” Billy turned away from me once again and began rubbing his temples, trying to calm himself down.

              “Why? Give me one good reason I should go anywhere with you!” I knew it was pointless. Of course I was leaving with him, and no, it didn’t matter where we were going. It was an opportunity to be near him and I would hate myself forever if I passed it up.

              He stalked towards my bags and grabbed them from the bed. He slung the duffle over his shoulder and pulled the rolling suitcase behind him. On the way out of the bedroom, he grabbed my hand to lead me down the hallway.

              “Don’t make a sound,” he whispered back to me.

              When I noticed him checking all the rooms and peering through the curtains to the street, I knew something was seriously wrong. Suddenly, it was all coming together and making sense.
Raul. Tommy. The bar.
I shuddered, thinking about how deep all of this ran, and how much danger I might actually be in.

              “You cut my lights on purpose, didn’t you?” I whispered in disbelief. Fear crept up my throat and my voice waivered.

              “Yes.”

              “Is someone after me?” I asked again. I knew they were and I knew who, I just didn’t know what it had to do with Billy, or how he even found out.

              “Yes.”

              “Are you going to explain
any
of this to me or should I just read your mind?” I put my hands on my hips and waited for an answer.

              “Nope,” he said, popping the ‘p’.

              His quip angered me further and I’d had enough. I was exhausted and somewhat in a state of shock, and all of this was just too much. While his back was turned, I grabbed my bags and retreated back towards my bedroom. I was halfway down the hallway when he caught me by the arm. He spun me around and bent low so that we were eye to eye.

              “Raul? That name ring a bell, angel?” The tone of his voice scared me though I knew he’d never hurt me. Not on purpose anyhow.

              I nodded yes.

              “He’s after you. He
wants
you and you don’t say no to a man like Raul. He runs a sex trafficking ring and he wants to sell you to the highest bidder. Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but I didn’t think you were into that kind of thing. If I’m wrong, angel, just say the word and I’ll take you right to him.”

              Before I knew what was happening, I reared back and brought my hand forward, slapping him hard on the cheek. The cracking sound echoed off the walls as his head snapped to the side.

              “Don’t you
dare
ever speak to me like that! As a matter of fact, don’t talk to me ever again!”

              I ran into my room and threw myself across the bed, letting my tears take over. Of all the times I’d dreamed about a reunion with the love of my life, none of them had ever gone quite like this.

              I felt Billy enter the room before I ever heard him. Then I heard his breathing, and my heart beat faster in my chest. We’d never blown up at one another like this, and I wasn’t sure why we were now. The bed dipped as he sat down and rubbed my back.