Wrecked (23 page)

“Why are you doing this? We didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Didn’t you? Wasn’t it you who stole dear Xavier’s girlfriend? Wasn’t it you who stole not only a kiss from Mylie but her virginity? And then you sent her away with a broken heart. You made it so easy for Xander to toy with her emotions and make her blind to his insanity. You my dear Damien are the worst of us all.”

I squeezed my eyes shut and shook my head. No this isn’t my fault; I love Mylie. “You’re wrong!” I yelled out. That got Adriana’s attention and surprise.

She tilted her head and waved her hand, “Please go on. How am I wrong?”

I took a deep breath and calmed my nerves. I never intended to fall in love again, but Mylie found the way for me to breathe again. I would go through this a thousand times if it meant that I could love her again. I never wanted feel this or have to witness the cruelty that Andrea had experienced, and I certainly never wanted to express myself in front of these sociopaths, but I couldn’t leave this world without her knowing the truth.

“I didn’t steal anything. Jen never loved Xavier or me; she just loved Franklin, Grant, Jackson, and Hamilton. She wasn’t picky. And you’re also wrong; I didn’t steal a kiss or her virginity because she’s mine. I love her, and she loves me.”

I stared in Mylie’s widened eyes that now shed new tears.

“Mylie, if or when we die, whether it’s today or fifty years from now, I will find you again in the next life because I love you. I will always love you.” She broke into sobs crying harder. A round of claps broke my confession.

“How sweet.” I stared in disgust. “Aren’t you all so cute,” Adriana sneered. “You love her. How poetic of you Damien. It really got me right here.” She tapped her chest.

She then laughed maniacally and ripped the duct tape off Mylie’s mouth. She screamed out in pain and blood poured from her cracked lips. “Anything you want to say Mylie?”

“I love you, too. I will always love you.” She sobbed harder and cried. “I’ll find you again.”

“See, I can be kind. I am very sorry Mylie for doing this to you,” she said genuinely. “You’re a victim just like me.”

She shook her head and something caught my eye. I saw the glint of her knife being lifted in the hair within striking distance of Mylie’s chest.

“WAIT!” I yelled out.

“What now?” Xander finally spoke after days of silence. His eyes gleamed, with blood thirst as he waited to see the bloodshed.

“Pet. Hush now. What is it Damien. What could you possibly have to say now?” Adriana said.

It was the first time in the last few weeks that I could smile which only split my lip, but the coppery taste reminded me of all I had endured, and I only found joy saying these words: “Rest in Peace, BITCH!”

The gunshots echoed in the room, and Adriana clutched her chest, her knife dropping with a loud clank. I saw Xander duck down as Cyrus’ body was riddled with bullets and thrown against the wall. The trail of blood followed as his body fell. Xander ran out the room jumping over Cyrus’ lifeless body. Mylie’s eyes were closed, and I looked desperately to see if she was breathing.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Mylie

I am dead. Yes this had to be a dream because there is no way I could be alive. Kyan shot Adriana. Yes, I am dead. My periphery lashes barely opened enough to notice that I was in a bright room. I slammed my eyes shut because I was too afraid to face reality. Damn it! Where am I? Where was Damien? Oh my God, Damien!

“Damien!” I screamed out.

“I’m here. It’s okay baby.” He grabbed my hand. “Calm down baby, I’m here.”

He smoothed the hair away from my forehead that was wet from sweat. I opened my eyes and realized that his arm was in a sling and his shoulder no longer looked dislocated. He was bruised and swollen, and his lips were cracked and covered with dried blood. My heart ached when I thought of the weeks of torture he and Andrea had endured.

“What happened to Andrea?” I choked out realizing I was in the back of an ambulance.

“She--,” he started. I squeezed my eyes shut afraid for the worst. Damien swallowed visibly. “She isn’t good babe.”

He had tears in his eyes, and I squeezed his hand. “They--,” his shoulders started to shake, and it broke my heart knowing he had to endure so much but also knowing that Andrea had been raped repeatedly at her own daughter’s doing. It made me sick, but the truth was that Damien had saved me, yet again. He saved me from that reality, and I didn’t think it was possible, but I loved him even more.

“Thank you. That could have been me. I don’t know---“

I shook my head; the image was disturbing and made me heave uncontrollably but nothing came out. The only shred of light in this dark, twisted tragedy was that it was over and Adriana was dead. I was safe, and there wasn’t anyone wanting me dead anymore. The paramedic grimaced, probably praying I didn’t blow chunks in the back of the ambulance.

“It’s over,” I whispered reminding myself that this was over. Damien just closed his crystal blue eyes as his brows furrowed and creased.

“What?” This wasn’t good.

“It’s not,” he said cautiously, and I felt like was just kicked in the gut.

“No. No. No. I can’t do this anymore. Please tell me you’re kidding.” I shook my head, covered my face, and started crying again.

Damn it when did I start to be such a crybaby.

“It’s going to be fine. Kyan already has units looking for Xander.”

“Jesus Christ!” It just gets worse, I thought bitterly. Damien grabbed my chin and looked into my eyes.

“You’re going to be fine. I refuse to lose you now that we finally have each other.” This was really happening. He admitted he loved me, and he was here by my side.

“So. I guess you love me, huh?” I tried to hide my smile.

“No guessing about it. I love you.” He tapped my nose with his finger. “Don’t you forget it.”

“Impossible,” I said with a genuine smile for the first time in what seem like a long time. He leaned in and kissed me gently.

“I intend on showing you, while I permanently remind you every day for the rest of our lives, just how much.”

“That I could get used to,” I giggled.

“Good because you’re moving in with me.”

The fuck?
He did not just ask me to--, no wait he didn’t event ask. It was a statement. Everything in me bristled at his audacious statement, so I took a deep breath before speaking.

“As lovely as the idea is, I will have to decline,” I said sickly sweet while plastering on an even sweeter smile.

“You seem to think you have a choice Mylie. Let me make it clear to you. You. Are. Mine.” My eyes widened, but before I could protest, he said, “Save it.” He lifted his good arm. “I protect what is mine; you will live with me, you will be in my bed, and I will make love to you every night because I love you damn it, and I made a promise that I would spend every day of the rest of my life showing you.”

If that wasn’t the sweetest form of machismo, I didn’t know what was. Think. Think. Think.

“I can’t leave Nik; he is the only family I have in Pointe Hope. If I leave, then the police officers will follow me and not him. What if Xander tries to kill him to deliver a message?” Damien closed his eyes and shook his head muttering under his breath. He leaned his forehead against mine.

“Fine.”

Eureka! Ha, I won.

“So I am moving in with you,” Damien asked.

Shit!

“Uh--,” I hesitated.

“I am moving in. Lie back. The sooner we get to the hospital, the sooner we can get released, and then I can play doctor.”

“Excuse me?” I choked out and laughed.

“Do you want to be the doctor, and I can be the sexy male nurse?” He joked.

The twinkle in his eyes disarmed me completely, but the reality was simple. I loved this man, and he wanted to protect me. However, I knew it was more. He realized that he could have lost me, and he was making sure that would never happen. I couldn’t blame him for his behavior, and truthfully I loved it.

“Won’t matter, because I sleep naked.” His eyes widened briefly before they begun to smolder.

Eat that!

Damien

Fear. In the last few months, I have known fear, unfortunately every time it was for one person. Mylie. I never knew it would be possible to understand fear as I have in these recent months, but the constant looking over our shoulders while never fully knowing if today would be the day that Xander would attack instilled a fear in me I never imagined before. Kyan and the P.H. P. D. have gotten restless.

Xavier had returned to Pointe Hope, and his military career was over. Yet, we all lived in fear. Nik decided that his romps no longer took precedence and instead kept vigil with Mylie as we all did. The girls have tried to nonchalantly keep Mylie occupied without making her feel like she was being babysat. She hated every waking moment of it.

“Where are you going?” Nik asked Mylie. I looked up from my paperwork.

“Out.” She was frustrated and had been irritable for a few days. Truly she was being a bitch, but I kept my mouth shut.

“Mylie,” he said in a disapproving tone.

“Nik.” Mylie propped her hand on her hip as she gave Nik an icy glare.

“My, I know you hate this, but damn it, see reason!” He stood as he began pacing the foyer.

“Nikolas, I am going crazy. As much as it warms my heart that everyone in the city of Pointe Hope is on Mylie patrol, I need some space.”

“But--”

“Mylie,” I interjected.

“From everyone.” She stared pointedly towards me, and I threw my hands in mock surrender.

“Can you just tell me where you’re going? And what time we should expect you back?” I asked gently. She looked annoyed with the questioning, and she obviously hadn’t realized how important she was to everyone. “Mylie, I understand you need your space, but I would like to know when you plan on coming home so I won’t worry.” I further elaborated and she nodded her head as she let out an exasperated sigh.

“I know, and I’m sorry babe but being stuck here. Ahh, it’s driving me insane. I want normal. I can’t do this anymore.”

“ I have an idea. Why don’t we go away for the weekend?” I asked hopeful.

“What about Nik?” She looked over her shoulder, but Nik feigned interest.

“Don’t worry about me. I have a frat party with my name on it! I will stay there, so don’t worry about me sissy.”

“Since when do you call me sissy?” She quirked a brow, and he rubbed the back of his neck.

“Since you started crying all of the time, that’s when.” He had a wide grin as he joyfully jogged up and kissed her cheek. “Love you sissy. Have fun!” She punched Nik in the arm, which only made him laugh more.

“So where are we going,” she asked excitedly.

No clue.

“It’s a surprise.”

“Which means you have no idea.” She giggled, but I damn the day! This woman knew me better than I knew myself. I knew exactly where I wanted to take her.

“Let’s pack up. Make sure to bring something warm.”

Her wide-eyed expression was priceless as she slowly nodded her head. I could see the swirl of thoughts passing through her radiant blue eyes, which only made me positive that this was the right decision.

Chapter Thirty

Mylie

Nerves.

There was no denying that I was a jumble of nerves. The excitement had washed away like a hot shower after a drunken stupor. The plane ride to New York was thrilling; the cab ride from JFK into Manhattan was down- right frightening. New Yorkers drive like maniacs, but the cab drivers are the cause. We were centimeters from hitting someone as our cab driver cut off a car.

The driver who had been cut off was cursing up a storm, but the cab driver with a thick foreign accent just ignored him as he flipped him off. I no longer had to worry about Xander killing me because this jerk off was going to instead.

“Hey what are you doing?” Damien demanded.

“We go to Manhattan.” The cab driver feigned ignorance.

“Then why the hell are you trying to take the Belt Parkway? Take the tunnel.”

“You got it boss,” the cabdriver then he began muttering in another language.

“What happened,” I nervously asked desperate to break my oath and start my nail biting habit.

“He was trying to take the long way so we’d have to pay more fare.”

“Oh.” I wondered how much difference it would have made, but I kept my mouth shut.

“It would have cost us an extra thirty dollars.”

Ugh, how did he always do that?

During the last few months of Damien staying at my house to watch over me until Xander was caught, he had gotten to know me on a deeper level. When it started, it startled me to the point that I’d dropped a glass when he answered a question I had not asked but was thinking of. I had gotten accustomed to the intrusion of my mind, but even that failed to compare to how I was feeling now. There was nothing more terrifying than arriving at our first destination.

“Why are we here?” I stared at the building like I was being walked to my execution. I swallowed the lump in my throat.

“I need to get something. Come on.”