Beyond Love Lies Deceit (21 page)

“Why do you think he did this to me?” Her voice goes up an octave as she pushes her legs to the floor and gestures to herself. “Why do you think he beat me and tied me up on his yacht?”

“How long?” I ask the question, not sure that I want to know the answer. When she hits me with a confused look I clarify. “How long did he have you there?”

“What day is today?” She asks.

“It’s Tuesday.” I answer.

“Tuesday.” She seems surprised by my answer. “Saturday night.” She shakes her head like she can’t quite wrap her mind around it.

“He’s had you on the yacht since Saturday?” I ask in disbelief.

Nodding, she continues. “He beat me, he molested me, and he planned to kill me.” Her voice is almost hysterical at this point and it’s clear by the fear etched so perfectly across her face that she is telling the truth.

“It’s because I found out the truth. He killed Sarah Trammell.” She says. “He raped her and then when she threatened to expose him he killed her and made it look like an accidental overdose. My brother started piecing it together and when he got too close to the truth, Ryan tried to kill him too. Only Sean realized it and tried to fight Ryan. That’s what caused the car crash that killed my brother; he was fighting back.” Her tears are back but this time they are more of anger than of pain.

“He couldn’t...” I shake my head, pushing into a stand. “He wouldn’t.” I try to rationalize the situation.

“He did.” She says so calmly that an immediate silence falls over the room.

“Then why have you not called the police? Why is he not behind bars right now?” I ask, none of this making much sense.

“Because I have no proof. I learned the truth because he told me. Of course, this was only after he had me in his grasp. He told me everything and I know he did so because he wanted me to die knowing that he won.”

“But what he did to you, you have proof of that.” I gesture to her face.

“But do I?” She questions. “He’s cleared the yacht by now, there’s likely no sign that I was ever there. At this point it would be my word against his. Sure maybe they would arrest him, throw him in jail for the night, but then what happens tomorrow when they are forced to release him because they don’t have enough to hold him? No, I can’t involve the police, not yet, not until I have the proof I need.”

Several moments pass as I stand frozen staring back at Samantha, a girl I only just met and yet deep down feel like I truly know. She wouldn’t lie about this.

“New York.” I start, but she doesn’t let me get any further.

“Were the best two days of my life.” She says, slowly pushing into a stand, her tired body not able to move too abruptly.

“I never wanted Ryan, only to get close enough to find his weakness. Every moment I spent with him was torture, especially after New York. My mind knew I had to keep going, I had to see my plan through. But not a moment went by that I didn’t think of you, that I didn’t wish things were different. I never anticipated feeling this way about someone, especially the brother of the man I was trying to destroy.” She walks slowly towards me.

“You have to believe me Luke. I never meant to pull you into all of this. It just happened and I couldn’t stop it.”

“Did you sleep with him?” The words leave my lips just as she stops a couple of feet in front of me.

“No.” She answers, the response causing relief to flood through me. “I just needed him to believe I would.”

“Where is Ryan now?” I ask, finally coming back to the current situation at hand.

“Probably out looking for me.” She shudders at the thought.

“Don’t worry.” I say, immediately reaching for her and pulling her into my arms. “I promise you, I won’t let him hurt you.” I say, kissing the top of her head. “You’re safe here. When I’m done with my brother, he won’t be able to ever hurt you again.”

“Don’t go after Ryan.” She says, stepping back to look up at me, her bruised face a gut wrenching reminder of what my brother did to her.

“I can’t just let him get away with this.” I can feel the anger bubbling in my throat.

“And he won’t.” She gives me a weak smile. “I just need some time. If he tries to contact you, he needs to think everything is completely normal. You can’t lead on like anything is wrong, otherwise he will know something is up. Please.” She reaches up, trailing her hand lightly down the side of my face.

“For you.” I answer, not able to resist the urge to lean down and brush my lips lightly against hers, careful not to put too much pressure on her injured lip.

“Thank you.” She breathes when I rest my forehead gently against hers. “You know the thing I was the most afraid of through this whole ordeal was not failing or even dying for that matter; it was the thought of losing you that scared me the most.”

“You’re not going to lose me Samantha.” I reassure her, seeing the way her eyes immediately glaze over.

“Say it again.” She gives me a tear filled smile.

“You aren’t going to lose me.” I repeat, not able to fight my own smile.

“No, my name.” She sniffs.

“Samantha.” I say, pulling her back into my arms.

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S
amantha

“You okay?” Luke slips in behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist, securing my back against his chest.

“Better.” I hum when he places a feather light kiss to the side of my neck. “It’s incredible here.” I gesture out towards the ocean, the view from the outdoor balcony simply breathtaking.

Luke’s house is unlike anything I have ever seen, or even imagined for that matter. It’s an incredible two story beach house sitting just a few hundred feet from its own private beach. There’s an oceanfront living and dining area with a wall of glass overlooking the water, and a chef style kitchen I swear my mother would have lived in. But it’s the master suite that is the real treasure. I spent most of last night sitting on its private balcony that overlooks the ocean.

I even left the French doors that connect to the bedroom wide open when I curled into the bed next to Luke, finding the openness soothing after being restrained and shut away from the outside world for three days. There is something so peace invoking about falling asleep with the smell of the sea in your nose and the sound of the waves in your ears.

“This is my favorite spot.” Luke finally speaks again, tightening his grip on me as he drops his chin to rest on my shoulder.

“I can see why.” I grip the railing in front of me, breathing in the sea air. “And I can see why you couldn’t bear to part with this house. It’s like your own little piece of heaven up here.”

“That’s what my mom used to say.” I can hear the smile in his voice which warms my heart.

I never imagined that this is where I would end up. I thought for sure the moment Luke found out the truth he would never want anything to do with me again. It means so much that not only has he been able to forgive the way I deceived him, he has also managed to give me a small glimmer of peace despite everything else going on.

I know Ryan is out there. I know he’s not going to just let me go. But right now none of that matters. Nothing matters outside of this, outside of Luke and this moment and how he makes me feel.

The breeze whips around us causing a light shiver to run through me. Luke immediately runs his hands down my arms in an effort to warm me.

“It’s getting pretty late.” He observes, straightening his posture behind me. “We should probably head inside.”

“Okay.” I agree, turning away from my amazing view to look up at one that is equally amazing.

Luke catches my gaze and gives me a sweet smile, tucking away a stray strand of hair that blows in front of my face, his hand lingering for a long moment just below my ear.

“Thank you.” He finally speaks, looking at me in a way that causes another shiver to run through me, this one for a completely different reason.

“For what?” I ask, confused by his statement.

“For trusting me.” He says simply. “I know you must be terrified with everything that’s going on. I can only imagine what it must take for you to put your faith in someone else with all you’ve been through. It just means a lot that you believe in me so much.”

“I should be the one thanking you.” I lay my hand lightly against his chest, loving the feeling of his beating heart beneath my palm. “I don’t know where I would be if it wasn’t for you.” I answer truthfully.

“Come on.” He says. “You look exhausted.” He kisses the tip of my nose before taking my hand and leading me back inside the house.

I jump slightly when his cell starts ringing just moments after he slides the door closed behind us. He crosses the living area to where his phone is sitting on the coffee table, his nose curling slightly the moment he catches sight of the screen.

With that one look I know exactly who it is. I suddenly feel winded, like the floor has just dropped out from underneath me. I knew this would happen eventually. It was only a matter of time before Ryan reached out to his brother. I guess I was just hoping I could pretend that things were okay for just a little while longer.

Luke looks down at the screen for a long moment before hitting silence and dropping the phone back onto the table. When he looks back towards me he must see the panic etched across my face because he immediately rushes towards me, both of his hands coming to rest at the sides of my face the moment he reaches me.

“He will not hurt you.” He reassures me, tilting my chin upwards to meet his gaze.

I muster a weak smile and a nod, trying to fight down the fear that slowly creeps into every pore of my body.

“Look at me Sam.” Luke demands when my gaze falls away. “I won’t let him.” He whispers, his words playing lightly across my lips as he lowers his mouth to mine.

I know what he’s doing. He’s trying to distract me, give me something to focus on. And honestly, it works. The moment the contact is made, everything else falls away. My rapid heartbeat is no longer out of fear but out of desire. My skin no longer burns with panic but sizzles beneath the fire of Luke’s touch.

Wrapping my arms around his neck, I pull him tighter, begging him to take it all away. The fear, the pain, take it all until there is nothing left but the way he makes me feel.

He deepens the kiss but his touch remains soft against my still swollen lip. His hands drop away from my face and before I can even react, are at the back of my thighs lifting me into his arms. Wrapping my legs around his waist, I tangle my fingers in his dark hair, tugging gently as I savor his taste, his smell, the feeling of his hard body against mine.

I feel each step he takes as he takes it, my body shifting slightly as he climbs the massive staircase leading to the second floor. When he finally deposits me onto his bed, I am already mush; a pool of want and need that only one person can satisfy. I reach for him, pulling him down on top of me.

Wanting no barriers between us, I rip at his clothing and my own; tearing at the fabric until every last piece has fallen away, leaving me bare beneath him.

Running his palm along my stomach, he sucks in a sharp inhale as his eyes travel across my bare torso, my chest, and then finally back to my face. His eyes are glazed, his arousal so clearly displayed that an instant burn comes to life inside of me; a feeling so intense that I feel like I may come apart below him even though he has barely touched me.

Climbing up my body, he settles in between my legs, his mouth finding mine instantly, peppering gentle kisses across my lips.

“Am I hurting you?” He whispers, kissing me again.

“No.” I reassure him, knowing that he is being far gentler than he needs to be. “I’m tougher than I look.” I give him a playful wink, pulling his mouth back down to mine.

He deepens the kiss, his tongue sweeping against mine as he slowly slides inside of me. The feeling of him as he inches deeper and deeper is incredible. This man knows how to make my body feel things I never knew possible.

Every touch is like fire, scarring my skin with the intensity of the burn. Every kiss is like being transported into another realm, one where we are the only two people in existence. Luke demands every part of me and I have no choice but to willingly give it to him.

His mouth never leaves mine as he slides slowly in and out of me, bringing both of our bodies to the brink and then rocking us back down again. He takes his time, making sure I feel every ounce of the pleasure he is fueling through my body.

I tug at his hair, scrap my nails down his sculpted back, grip at his massive biceps as he forces my body higher and higher.

When he pulls back and meets my gaze, his crystal blue eyes burning into mine, I have no choice but to fall apart below him.

Luke holds my sight, refusing to let me look away as I ride out the pleasure surging through me.

He controls my body, forcing it to feel every ounce of him. He controls my mind, clouding everything around me until there is only him. And as I watch him give into his own pleasure, his eyes never leaving mine, I know he also controls my heart. 

Mind, body and soul... I am his.

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S
amantha

How is it possible for me to find happiness knowing there is someone out there looking for me, someone prepared to kill me if, or rather when, they find me?

I know it sounds absurd. Absurd that just thirty-six hours ago I was running for my life and now here I am, snuggled up in the comfort of Luke’s bed feeling like nothing and no one can touch me here.

Rolling to my side, I stretch my legs out while my arm immediately reaches for Luke. To my disappointment I find nothing more than a mess of blankets next to me. Peeling both eyes open, I blink rapidly into the bright sunlight pouring into the room.

Pushing up onto my elbows, I look around the empty space, letting my happiness really take hold before finally kicking the covers away. Swinging my legs over the side of the massive bed, the moment my feet hit the floor I spot a note on the bedside table, Luke’s handwriting scrawled across the small piece of paper.