Repented (16 page)

"Thank you for preparing dinner, Mrs. Hale," Kevin said.

"Mary, please. Thank you for joining us. We're looking forward to getting to know you better."

"So Kevin, you said your parents are in the health and wellness industry, why did you choose to go music?"

"Sir, no disrespect, but music is in my blood. From the time I was old enough to hold a guitar, I was playing. I'm fortunate to be in the position I'm in, and we've had great success. We recently just formed our own label and are already starting to generate revenue from that. Normally, the way the industry works is you're paid a certain amount of an advance from a recording label. From that, you have to pay all the members, cover expenses, etc. We signed when the rock market was strong and worked tirelessly to build a cult-like following. Most of our revenue was from touring and album sales. We essentially spent the first four years doing nothing except recording, promoting and touring. It's paid off, and the band is worth well into the seven figures. Plus, as an only child, I stand to inherit my parent's estate. I am more than capable of supporting your daughter though I think she does a fine job all on her own. She's an incredible woman."

Wow. I wasn't expecting him to lay into my dad right out of the gate. It was hot.

"Fair enough. I just know you rock star types tend to have checkered pasts. The drinking and drug lifestyle is not what I want for my daughter."  He eyed me quickly before looking skeptically at Kevin. He wasn't going to drop the whole thing like I wished he would. 

"I only have an occasional drink, and I'm not going to sit here and lie to you. I have struggled with drugs in the past. I'm also proud to say that I've been clean for over three years. I got proper treatment. I'm also older and wiser than I was when we first started. It is my only intention to be the man she deserves and that is what I will strive to do every single day she'll have me." Kevin looked at me adoringly.

I was getting so turned on by the whole thing that we were going to have to stop at my place on the way home to have a quickie. Now that the heavy was out of the way, I was hoping for happy talk the rest of the evening.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

DIE TO SAVE YOU

The weekend had flown by entirely too fast. It was already mid-Monday, and I was ready for a redo. This morning started off with me spilling coffee on my white button up and pretty much went downhill from there. Things with Kevin were still going strong, even after a semi disastrous start to dinner with my parents.

He was going to be busy in the studio and doing press most of the week. Which meant, we weren't going to have a whole lot of time to spend together. He texted me this morning, and I hadn't heard from him since. Bri had left to go back to Michigan for the week, so I was going to be flying solo.

Normally, I relished in my alone time. I craved it. It was different now. I already didn't like sleeping alone. I loved the way I fit into him and how he made me feel so safe. Him greeting me with breakfast every morning was just an added bonus.

"Ms. Hale, you have a package. I just need a signature," the parcel employee stood in front of me, holding out an electronic device.

Taking the package from him, I placed it on my desk and took out my letter opener. Slicing the tape, I opened the box. My heart started racing when I saw the contents. It was photos, lots of photos. There were some of me alone. Some of me sleeping, some of me out and about. Some were of Damon and I having sex. The ones at the bottom were of Kevin and I having sex on Saturday night. I felt like I was going to throw up. They were all screen shots taken from a computer camera. I felt tears stinging my eyes. My stomach turned.

Grabbing my phone, I headed into the ladies' room down the hall. Splashing some water on my face, I looked in the mirror. My hands were shaking uncontrollably. Trying to pull Kevin's number up on my phone proved to be difficult. I didn't even know if I was going to be able to form a coherent sentence, but I needed to hear his voice. I knew if these got leaked it would be very bad, for both of us.

Finally, I managed to gain enough composure to hit send. It rang and rang before voicemail picked up. I hung up and tried again. I said a silent prayer as I begged for him to answer. He picked up after the third time.

"Hey princess, I'm still in the studio. Everything okay?" Just hearing his voice let the dam loose. I couldn't hold back the tears. I couldn't catch my breath. "Mads?"

"I-I..." I stammered.

"Baby, what's going on? I can't understand you." He said, sounding concerned. I just sat on the bathroom floor, shaking. "Fuck. Guys we gotta break for an hour, something's wrong." I heard something about taking a different car, a faster car. He stayed on the phone talking, but I didn't hear a word he said. I knew I was going to have to tell him everything. I was going to have to expose my past. What if he didn't want someone as tainted as I was? He thought I was this girl that had all her shit together, when the reality was I was barely holding on when he came along. I felt everything as much as he did. I knew I loved him, but he loved the idea of who I thought I was. The walls felt like they were closing in. I felt the hole where my heart used to be swallowing me whole. "I'm coming, just stay on the phone."

Finally, he stormed into the bathroom and closed the door. He sat on the floor in front of me and pulled me into his arms. I sat there and sobbed. I sobbed for the love we had. I sobbed for the love that I was most likely going to lose after the truth came out. I hated feeling weak. More than that, I hated feeling vulnerable. It was another reason I knew what we had was the real deal. There was no hesitation with him at all. In a day, I felt like I'd known him for years.

"It's okay. I'm here. What's going on? You're shaking, princess."

"M-my office, a box," I cried. "I can't let them see me like this."

"I'll take care of it. I have Blake's Mustang," he handed me the keys. "Go. I'll grab the box and meet you in the car."

He helped me to my feet and opened the door. Once seeing it was clear, I took off with my head down. Praying no one saw me, I made it to the door with only one look from the receptionist, Beth. She was the office gossiper, but hopefully she had some empathy and would keep her fucking mouth shut.

Hitting the key fob, the Mustang unlocked, and I climbed inside the passenger side and started the engine. I didn't have my purse or my jacket. Just as the thought crossed my mind, Kevin appeared with the box, along with my coat and bag. I started crying all over again. His face appeared angrier than I've ever seen anyone.

Climbing into the driver's side, he slammed the door shut. His hands were the ones trembling now.

"What the fuck is this? Who took them?" He shouted.

I couldn't find my voice.
Come on, Mads. You can tell him.

Exhaling a shaky breath, "my ex. I had no idea. Please don't be upset with me."

"Madison, this is sick. He's been doing this for who knows how long. Jesus, he could even have it streaming on the internet!" He took the photos out of the box and started flipping through them. My empty stomach rolled. "Why do I get the feeling that there's more to this you're not telling me?" He asked.

"Because there is." I put my head down. "Can we just go somewhere? Anywhere. Just drive. I can't sit here and risk someone coming out to check on me right now. This whole situation is embarrassing enough as it is."

Shifting into reverse he floored it, tires spinning before taking off. "Talk." He commanded.

"I met Damon when I was twenty. He quickly integrated himself into my life, for better and worse. At first, he was this guy that I couldn't get enough of. I fell hard for him and by the time I saw the real him, I was in love. I thought I would be the one to save him. Time after time, he broke my heart. He cheated on me. Got me hooked on heroin. Every time I'd hit a breaking point, he'd swear up and down that he was ready to change. Stupid me, I believed him. He'd been out of my life for the past several months until a couple weeks ago. The last time I saw him was the first time I saw you. That day at the grocery store. It was bad, and I never told you, but your face was the one popping into my head that night. Like you were telling me to let go. I haven't seen him since, I swear. He's called a few times, but I didn't answer."

He slammed on the brakes and pulled off to the side of the road. "Hold on, I need to process all of this." He quietly ran his hands through his hair. He looked murderous. "Did you just say fucking heroin?"

I nodded.

"Jesus Christ, Madison. Heroin."  It wasn't a question. "Why didn't you tell me? That night that I sat and poured my entire life's story out to you, and you didn't say a fucking word. I felt so unsure about telling you, but I knew you deserved to know. Fuck!"

"I-I'm sorry," I cried. "I wanted to tell you. I didn't know how. I didn't want you thinking I was damaged goods. I knew when these showed up that I didn't have a choice."

"We need to go to your house and check where the feed is coming from. Fuck."

He pulled his phone out and called Jake to tell him what was going on. The guys said they'd meet him at my house, and he gave them the address. He put the car in drive and whipped it in the opposite direction.

I didn't want a conversation or company. I wanted to cry on him. I wanted to find the camera and destroy it, along with Damon. It was obvious that he was growing desperate in his attempts to get me back, or seeking whatever revenge he was seeking. Now that I knew true love, it wasn't going to happen. Never again, I vowed. Wishing I was anywhere but here, I stared blankly out the window feeling embarrassed and numb.
How could I have not known? How long was this going on?

Kevin reached over and took my hand. "I'm sorry if I snapped at you. I've had a lot of bombs dropped on me lately. Everything that happened with Bryn and Kennedy. I was kinda enjoying the smooth ride, but I'm not upset with you. I'm slightly hurt you didn't trust me enough to tell me, but you're the one that told me we all have pasts. They don't define us. You're my little fighter."

By the time we arrived at my house, there was a black Range Rover sitting by the curb. Taking a deep breath, hoping to calm myself with little avail, I opened the door. I was hoping to have a few minutes alone with Kevin first. But, I knew they were like his brothers, and I trusted them. They all piled out of their SUV and followed us inside. Jake, Blake, and Austin followed us up my sidewalk and into the living room. Heading straight into the kitchen, I poured myself a glass of white wine, wishing I kept stronger stuff in the house.

"We're going to do a sweep of the place," Kevin said kissing my forehead. I watched as they headed back to my bedroom. My phone chimed.

Nice to know you got my package. I'm going to miss watching you. I have other ways though. Remember our secret.

All the air left my lungs. If that got out it would be devastating on so many levels. I couldn't handle living through that truth.

KEVIN

"Over here," Blake said. He was standing on a chair by the curtain. He moved the curtain off to the side revealing a small Wi-Fi camera.

I was feeling in a trans like state. By now, you would think I'd be used to curveballs. I guess I just swing at them like Stevie Wonder using a light saber, missing them constantly. This was different. It didn't change the way I felt about her, but it stung. The first night, I put everything on the table. I was expecting her to feel more cautious, but she wasn't. I was having a hard time wrapping my head around why she wouldn't tell me about Damon. Or the fact that she was a recovering heroin addict. Those were kind of big things.

I didn't want to live without her. That much I knew without a doubt. If it came down to me not letting her out of my sight, that's what I would do to protect her. The once mellow, free loving Kevin was gone. When it came to something or someone I loved, I could be a ruthless as the worse nightmare you could dream up. This fucking guy just landed on my hit list.

Snapping back to the present, I looked over at Blake.

"This guy was fucking sneaky as hell. All the wires were hidden behind the trim. Unless she was really looking, there's no way she would have known. Sick fuck." His tatted muscular arms ripped it out of the wall.

Jake came and put a hand on my shoulder. "I think there's still more she's not telling you, bro. Just a feeling. I know you love her, just be careful. You're finally getting back to a good place, and this has been happening super fast. If anyone understands, it's me. Aub was it for me from the moment I saw her, but look what we had to go through to get to where we are." He turned and helped Blake finish searching the room. I felt helpless. I wanted to move. I wanted to help. But I was stuck. "She's hurting. Go sit with her. We've got this."

Austin was in the spare room that was Bri's tearing it apart. It was evident that he cared about her. They were still in the testing waters stage and building a friendship, but it was obvious he had feelings for her. I moved down the small hallway, into the living room. Madison sat in her gray suit and coffee stained white button up, sipping on a glass of wine. My heart clenched seeing her in so much pain. I knew she wasn't all right. It was an invasion of her privacy, of our privacy. Intimate moments that weren't meant for others eyes.

"Letting people down is my thing," she cried.

I pulled her to my side, resting her head on my chest. "You're my angel. So you've broken your wings a few times; you're human. This doesn't change how I feel. I felt you before I knew you, Mads. You've given me back my faith, and I just want to protect you from this creep. I can't do that unless I know everything. No matter if it's going to hurt me, I need to know. You can trust me." I vowed.

Her green eyes were red and puffy from crying. She stared up at me hurting. "He used me. It was almost like fishing. He'd cast me out to the point where I started not to care, only to reel me back in. It was like that for years. He used the drugs and my vulnerability to keep me close to him. That night, he came here high and begging for money. Bri was here and told him to fuck off. He started acting exceptionally desperate. I ran into my bedroom to get away from him. He kicked the door in and held me down. He kept trying to kiss me, telling me how much he loved me. Telling me he couldn't live without me. I should have known something like this was going to happen." She wiped the tears away with the back of her hand. "I was highly functioning on it, without it not so much. I only snorted it. He used to shoot up. He'd leave for days at a time without saying anything. Then, when he was out of money or something would happen he'd show up. He made me feel so worthless like no one would love me because I was fucked up. I was damaged goods.  Over the past year, I started fighting back. I knew if I didn't end it, it would ultimately end me. I felt so helpless. There was no way I could tell my parents."

I held her while she cried. I knew how hard it was, to be honest. "I'd die to save you. I love you." It wasn't going to make everything go away, but love was a powerful thing.