Victory Lane (Shady Falls #1) (31 page)

“Jules,” Tom said more forcefully. “Dammit man, answer. Give us a sign you’re okay.”

Nothing, not a sound came through our headphones from the cockpit of the car. Then all hell broke loose. The car that was smoking horribly burst into flames just as the pit crew and rescue workers got there. They worked feverishly to extinguish the flames and pull Julius Fuller from his broken and battered vehicle while the rest of the field sat unmoving on the track under a red flag.

We watched in silence as they pulled an unmoving Julius from his car, placed him onto a gurney and loaded him into the back of the waiting ambulance.

“We’re goin’,” Kyle announced into his headset for everyone to hear. “Get your shit together, fellas. We need to get to the hospital, now.”

~oOo~

The next two days were horrible. I spent every moment in the hospital refusing to leave. I couldn’t leave until Julius woke up. I had to know he was okay. They placed him under heavy sedation so he could heal. He fractured his collarbone, resulting in surgery to repair the injury. He also had lots of bumps and bruises, and a concussion. They said he regained consciousness in the ambulance which was a good sign that he would be okay. It was bad, but it certainly could’ve been a lot worse.

Everyone tried getting me to go back to the hotel at least to sleep, but I just couldn’t. I felt responsible for what happened to him. I knew in my heart that he was distracted because of me. It was my fault he was in the accident and now in a hospital bed. I also realized how much I needed him to be okay. He was so strong and he made me stronger because he believed in me, because he loved me. He saw me, the real me. Not the screwed up version Todd created and not the subsequent mess I’d become to try to put my life back together. No, he saw me. All my faults, all my strengths, everything. He saw everything and I tried to throw that away. I acted as if what he saw didn’t matter. I told him the version of me he found hiding behind hurt, pain, and fear didn’t matter. I’d hurt him and whether I made him wreck or not, he was in a hospital bed instead of his car because of my weakness.

So for two days I sat in the silence of his hospital room before anyone else got there. I would sit and just talk to him. The first day, I told him about everything he ever asked me about, except Todd. I just couldn’t go there until I told him everything else. I told him about my dreams and hopes. I told him about my desire for a family and a real home. I told him how badly I missed my mom and about how I wanted to be a mother just like her someday. I told him things I never told anyone before. But I couldn’t talk about Todd, until the second day. I sat there telling him about high school shop and it just all poured out of me. It felt like a purging of my demons as I spoke.

I sat there at Julius’ bedside and finally told him the story. I could only hope he could hear me.

“I started dating Todd the summer before my senior year of high school. At the beginning of the school year when I was in eleventh grade, he brought his car in to shop at school. It turned out to be a huge project. He was popular and I was surprised when he started paying attention to me. We seemed to hit it off and he seemed nice. He pursued me the entire school year, but I refused to go out with him until school was out and summer was back. For the first few months, he was sweet and kind, but it didn’t take long for him to change. About six months after we started dating, signs of what he really was began to appear.” I detailed all of the early abuse, the gifts and flowers apologizing for what he did, and the first time he raped me. “You see, the night I had that nightmare in your hotel room, it was a memory of when I finally left him. He raped me for the last time that day. When I told him I was leaving, he,” I paused and took a deep breath. “Let’s just say he did a lot of horrible things to me. I’m sure you understand why I didn’t want to tell you.” I continued talking, pouring everything out to him, just as I’d once done with Dr. Mathews. “My therapist told me a long time ago to trust you and to let you in. But I couldn’t. I didn’t want you to see how weak and pathetic I am. But because I tried so hard to hide it, I drove you away. For that, I’m so sorry. So here is the final part of the story. The part that broke me forever—or at least I thought it was forever until you came along. You helped me find my strength because you believed in me. I’m eternally grateful for that.

“For months I had dealt with the abuse. I had no excuse except I was afraid of what he would do and ashamed I’d let things get so out of control. When my family finally found out, I wasn’t allowed to go anywhere alone. Jake, Cade, and my dad were my constant companions. One night just when Jake and I were leaving the shop, Jake got a text from Cade telling him that there was an emergency at the diner and he needed to get there. Instead of going with Jake, I thought it would be a good idea to go home alone. That was my biggest mistake.”

My mind drifted to what happened that day as I told Julius about my past.

“Come on, Toni. We gotta go, somethin’ happened at the diner and I need to get over there.”

“Just go ahead, Jake. You better get there. I’ll go straight home. Dad’s there waitin’ for me so it’ll be fine.” Jake didn’t look convinced, he gave me a look that questioned my reason. “Jake, I’ll be fine. I promise.”

He sighed, “Call Mike and tell ‘im you’re on your way so he can meet you outside.”

I nodded and got into my car. Jake pulled out in front of me and turned toward the diner while I turned the opposite direction toward home. It wasn’t far, but far enough it gave me a few minutes of peace to think and relax a little. They had all been so over protective lately, I just needed a minute to myself. Even though I would miss them all terribly, I couldn’t wait to get out of there. I just wanted to get as far away from Shady Falls and Todd Franklin as I could. I wanted to move on with my life and be left alone.

From behind I noticed a truck with its high beams glaring. It was barreling down on me fast as if I wasn’t even moving. It pulled right up on me, lights reflecting in my mirror, blinding me. I tilted the rearview mirror to avert the glare and tried to pick up my speed so they weren’t right on my tail. But the more I sped up, the faster the truck went. My heart hammered, I knew there was something off. They could’ve passed me, they could’ve backed off, but they didn’t.

The ringing of my cell phone startled me. I reached down and answered it without taking my eyes off the road. It was hard to see the road with this truck right on my ass.

“Hello?” I said exasperated.

“Toni, where are you?” Cade asked sounding freaked out.

“On my way home. Look, what’s up? I’ve got some dickhead ridin’ my ass and I need to concentrate.”

“We’re on our way. I never texted Jake tonight. There’s somethin’ wrong and we think it has to do with Todd. Is it him behind you?”

“Not his Mustang, it’s a truck, but it could be. Whoever it is won’t back off. I’m about a mile from the turnoff to my house. Can you guys get here?”

“We’re right behind you. Put your phone on speaker and concentrate on drivin’,” Cade instructed.

I did as he asked and set the phone on the passenger seat. I was starting to get scared because everything in me knew it was Todd and he was out to punish me.

I approached the turnoff to my road, the truck followed close behind. I made the turn faster than I should’ve; the car turned sideways around the bend. Trying to straighten out the car, it fishtailed on the gravel road. Spinning the wheel to stop the slide, I over corrected and ended up sliding in the gravel on the side of the road. The truck was still there and right on me. It pulled up beside me and inched its way closer, forcing me further onto the side of the road and into the shallow creek that ran alongside. The mud was thick and moist, and I could feel my car starting to bog down. And that was it; I slid and couldn’t get any traction to keep moving or to get back onto the road.

“Cade? I’m on my street but he forced me off the road. I’m stuck in the creek bed. I can’t get out. I’m bogged down. Where are you?”

“We’re almost there. Just stay put, don’t get out of the car,” he ordered. “Jake called your dad. He’ll be there soon too.”

I was a couple miles from home and I didn’t know how far back the guys were. The problem was, I was in trouble now. No matter how hard I pushed on the gas, my rear tires just spun and shot mud all over the place. A face appeared in my window, startling a scream from me. I trembled with uncontrolled wild fear. Todd …

He pounded on the window screaming, “Open the fuckin’ door, Antonia. No one’s here to save you now, is there? We’ve got business to take care of once and for all.”

Cade could hear Todd yelling at me. “Toni, don’t open that damn door. Just stay there. Promise.”

“Yeah, okay,” I responded weakly.

I shook with terror as I kept moving the car from drive to reverse to try to find a way to get it out of the damn mud. I had to get away from there. I tried not to look his way or make eye contact; I just kept trying to move the car. But the tires did nothing but spin mud everywhere.

“Cade, you gotta get here. I’m stuck. He’s right outside. Please,” I whimpered. I knew if Todd got his hands on me, I would regret it. I didn’t know what he was capable of any more. He might kill me. Outside of the car, it was pitch black and hard to see. Then I saw movement out of the corner of my eye just in time to duck.

Crash … Glass shattered all over me as I dove into the passenger seat. Reaching into the car, he grabbed a hold of my long dark hair and pulled.

“Toni!” I heard Cade’s voice shout through the phone now lying on the floor.

“Cade!” I screamed. “HELP!”

Todd dragged me out of the window by my hair. I couldn’t hear Cade’s voice anymore. I wanted that piece of security to latch on to, but Todd never allowed me to feel safe, ever.

“When I tell you to get your fuckin’ fat ass out of the goddamn car, Antonia, I mean now you stupid bitch,” he bellowed as he dragged me through the window. The glass sliced though the back of my shirt and made bloody slashes down my bare legs as they slid across the jagged edges. When I was out of the car, he let me drop to the ground in the mud. He squatted down and seized my ponytail in his hand once again. The length of my hair wrapped around his hand, he yanked hard forcing my head back making me look up at him. He spit in my face and laughed. I tried to scramble away from him, but I couldn’t move. “You’re a pathetic piece of shit. You don’t deserve me, but I’m not lettin’ you get away. I told you no one leaves me, ever. Did you think I’d let you go because of some fuckin’ restraining order? You’re out of your damn mind.” He jerked my head back, his hand lifted in the air ready to deliver a blow. The back of his hand landed on the side of my head, making me see stars. I tried to pull away with all I could. I didn’t care if he ripped every hair out of my head; I had to get away from him.

Hair wound around his hand once more, I was rendered powerless as he dragged me toward the road. The gravel cut into the back of my already bleeding legs. My hands scraped across the merciless ground as I tried desperately to fight against Todd’s strength. I could do little against him. He dropped me to the side of the road behind his truck. Jerking his foot back, he kicked me in the side just below my rib. The scream that erupted from me was lost in the black void of the woods. Attempting to roll away, he stopped me with another kick. I curled into myself, trying to hide from another attack. He knelt down to my side and pushed me to my back. He glared down, hatred glowing in his heartless eyes.

“What do you want from me, Todd?” I whimpered. I couldn’t make any other sound. I knew what was coming, he was going to rape me or kill me, or both.

“I told you, no one leaves me, Antonia. No one,” he growled hovering over me. I prayed someone would save me before Todd killed me.

The large hunting knife appeared in his hand, the blade glinting in the moon light. I knew the knife well, and I knew he wasn’t afraid to use it. For some reason, instead of terror a sense of calm came over me. I could fight this, I could do everything I could to survive, but it wouldn’t matter. Todd had the upper hand. I tried to calm my breath and settle down. Maybe if I allowed him to have his way, he wouldn’t kill me.

He leered down at me, his eyes cold. He brought the knife up toward my face, the red taillights from his truck reflected on the blade. It looked as if it was already covered in blood. The blade slid down my body, toward the edge of my shorts. The razor sharp edge threatening to slice through the cloth covering my helpless flesh. The unrelenting steel bit into my skin as it slid into my shorts. With a swift flick of his wrist, Todd sliced through the cloth. The chill of the night air crawled across my exposed skin. He repeated the same action on the other side, slicing away the material until all that remained was my tiny panties. He slid the knife up my hip again, the material of my panties gave way to the remorseless metal. He slid his other hand up the front of me, pushing the front of my ruined shirt up to reveal my bra. I prayed someone would save me.

He moved the blade across my stomach, tip plunging into my skin, making me scream. The warmth of blood trickled down my hip. “Now Antonia, are you gonna be a good girl and take it like you’re supposed to?” He slid the knife beneath the material between my breasts and cut the bra away. He used the tip of the knife to slide the cups away, scraping against my skin, revealing my breasts. “I always loved your tits, babe,” he said. The knife still in one hand, he moved his other hand down my bare body toward my crotch. “I told you, no one will ever touch this body but me. No one. I’ll kill your ass before I let any other man put his hands on you. Do you understand me? I’ll fuckin’ kill you.”