Lovely Broken Strength, page 17
I tensed as a figure came walking toward me from the darkness. It was tall, and broad, and had a distinct sway to its steps. My eyes widened as the shape came closer and something in my memory jogged.
I recognized the slope of the shoulders…the outline of the muscular chest.
My pulse thundered in my ears as every muscle in my body locked up in terror. It was him.
“Ellie?” The voice startled me.
I realized I’d been holding my breath and I let out a shocked huff of air as he stepped into the light from the shadows. He frowned at me, a large black trash bag dangled from one hand.
“Abel?” I breathed, the shock making me numb.
He stepped closer, tilting his head to the side. “You okay? I haven’t seen you come by.”
He stood there, staring, before I realized he was waiting for a reply. I nodded, clearing my throat. “Yes, I’m okay.”
His brows furrowed and he stepped to the side and lifted the lid to the dumpster. A sickening whiff of rotting food and stale beer hit my nostrils as he threw in the trash bag and snapped the lid closed. He turned back to me, wiping his hands on his distressed jeans.
“I heard about the fire.” His face softened with sympathy. “I’m real sorry, Ellie.” He reached for me, but I flinched, taking a step back.
He frowned again.
I looked away. I had to pull myself together. “Thanks.” My voice shook and I took a deep breath. “I mean, it’s been hard, but I’m okay.”
Abel nodded, but seemed weary. “How about you come inside and I’ll pour you something real good. My treat.” He smiled his easy smile, but I stiffened.
I shook my head. “That’s okay. I was just leaving.”
“I haven’t seen you inside yet.”
I shrugged. “I came to talk to a friend. I met him on my way in. I was just heading back to my car.”
He looked confused. “Okay…” He glanced around the empty parking lot, but didn’t push the subject. “When will I see you next? I’ve missed you.”
My stomach knotted. “Soon. I just need some time, you know?”
“I get it.” He started backing away. “Take care of yourself, okay?”
I nodded and he turned, heading into the shadows toward the bar. I watched him until he disappeared around the side of the building. Once he was out of sight, I ran to my car.
I hopped inside, locking the doors. My pulse raced.
I had come here almost sure Callen had known what happened to Ty. The moment I’d seen Abel’s shadowed frame, I’d recognized him.
Abel was the person there the night my trailer burned down. Abel had been the one who’d hit Ty.
I swallowed the lump constricting my sore throat.
Abel had been the one behind the attacks all along.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Ellie
I waited for him. I parked on the opposite side of the street, farther down from Splinter’s, where I could monitor everything going on at the bar without drawing attention to myself.
As the night went on, the parking lot dwindled to a few vehicles and then emptied out completely. Knox hadn’t texted me back or tried to call, which was good. Things hadn’t gone according to plan and I didn’t need him worrying about me right in the middle of things.
My eyes burned with lack of sleep, but I fought to keep them open. I knew, once I had the realization about Abel, that this would be a long night. It was close to one in the morning when his car pulled around from the back of the bar and headed down the street. My hands shook as I shifted into drive and followed him, trying to keep him in my sight, but not get too close to look suspicious.
I’d thought a thousand times about calling Atlas while I was waiting for the bar to close. He would want to know about Abel. But, I had already accused Callen over and over again of things he hadn’t done. What if, somehow, I was wrong about Abel too? I was almost sure it’d been him I saw the night of fire, but I had no proof. No evidence. I wasn’t going to put someone through what I’d done to Callen without something concrete.
Which was why I was tailing a potential kidnapper.
The thought of Ty was the only thing keeping me going. It was pure hope that I’d find him and get him back home that made me push through the fear and uncertainty as I followed Abel’s car for twenty minutes. We were technically outside of Cypress Falls, close to Lake Rowan to the north. We’d almost made it to the neighboring lake town of Hickory Grove, when Abel pulled off onto a secluded country road.
I slowed to a crawl as his car disappeared through a line of thick trees. There was a small break where a drive sat, barely visible from the road. A rickety mailbox was out front with paint peeling so bad I couldn’t read the numbers.
This must be where he lived.
I bit my lip as I drove off the road into the sliver of grass before the tree line. I obviously couldn’t follow Abel down the drive without him noticing. I drew in a deep breath before turning off my car. I had to follow him on foot.
I steeled myself. Adrenaline pumped through me as I exited the car, careful to shut the door quietly. I left it unlocked with the keys inside, just in case I needed to make a quick getaway.
It was pitch dark without the lights from my car and I was almost blind as I stumbled toward the drive. I was too scared to use my phone as a flashlight, and it took a little while for my eyes to adjust to the moonlight filtering between the pine trees.
The crunch of my shoes on gravel let me know I’d found it. There was no gate or anything keeping me out so I walked down the drive, staying off to the side, close to the trees. The night was heavy with humidity and beads of sweat rolled down my skin. It wasn’t long before the lights of a small house came into view. Adrenaline hit my system as I sped up. Soon, Abel’s car appeared, parked near the front of the house. This was it.
As I gradually came farther out from the tree line and closer to the house, there was a rustling sound behind me and the sudden crack of a snapping twig. My hair rose on end, but before I turned around, someone grabbed me from behind. I gasped as a large, strong arm wrapped around my neck.
I clawed at the forearm squeezing so hard I couldn’t breathe. I struggled, frantically kicking out my legs and trying to knock whoever had me off balance, but they were as unyielding as a rooted tree.
My vision blurred as blackness narrowed in.
I felt a hot breath in my ear, and a voice growled from behind. “Damn it, Ellie.” I tried to stay conscious but was slowly losing that battle to the chokehold. “What the hell do you think you’re doing here?”
And those were the last words I heard before the darkness fully took me.
“Why the hell would you bring her here?”
“I didn’t. She must’ve fucking followed me.”
Disgruntled voices brought me to consciousness. My eyes fluttered open and an unfamiliar room swam into focus. It was a small space with blue walls and hardwood floors. I was laying on a couch, my face pressed into the stiff gray cushions. I tried to sit up, but my hands were bound behind my back. Something hard bit into the skin around my wrists as I fought to free myself. I was quiet as the voices continued, and I realized there were two people standing in the same room, arguing in the corner. I craned my neck, my pulse pounding.
Abel leaned against the mantle over a brick fireplace. He massaged his temples as a girl stood before him, her arms crossed over her chest, shoulders rigid. I swallowed a gasp as I recognized the short, blonde hair and thin frame.
Clara.
“I don’t understand how she got here,” Clara snapped. She was rocking slightly on her feet, obviously agitated.
Abel groaned, his face screwing up in frustration, or maybe anger, it was hard to tell. “Damn it, I don’t know! I saw her at the bar and all of the sudden she was here.”
Clara clutched her head with her hands, her fingers pulling on the blonde strands. “God, Abel. She wasn’t supposed to be here, of all places. This messes everything up.”
“Don’t you think I get that?” Abel hissed, a sheen of sweat glistened on his forehead even though it was cold inside from the air conditioning.
Clara huffed. “You’re just going to have to take care of her, then. Dump her somewhere far away from here so they can’t connect it with us.”
My stomach lurched as Abel jerked upright, folding his arms over his chest. “I’m not doing a damn thing,” he said between clenched teeth. “I never wanted to harm her.” Hurt pierced his tone. “You told me she wasn’t in there the night of the fire.”
Clara shook her head. “It doesn’t matter now. We can’t let her go.”
Abel hung his head. “I’ve done everything you’ve asked me to do…I have to draw the line somewhere. She’s…I mean, she’s not a bad person.”
Clara snorted. “She’s nothing but trash, Abel. She’s a whore. She’s not worth risking everything for.”
Abel looked away. “I’m sorry. I don’t think I can hurt her.”
Clara growled. Before I could react, she whirled around, her blue eyes latching onto mine. There was nothing but pure, unrelenting hatred in them. I had no idea how to comprehend it. I’d been seeing her twice a week for the last two years. She’d never been anything but kind to me, and my father.
She stomped over and I flinched away. Whimpering, I pushed myself farther into the couch, but there was nowhere to go. Clara bent down, taking a fistful of my hair and pulling me up into a sitting position. Pain shot across my skull and I winced.
She leaned toward me, her lip twisting into a snarl. “You are going to pay for everything. You’re going to wish you died in that fire.”
Tears welled as she yanked me to my feet, my hair in her clutches. I cried out, my gaze seeking out Abel. He hadn’t moved from his spot near the fireplace. My eyes widened, pleading with him.
“Help me,” I said, desperately. But he looked away, as if I wasn’t even there.
Clara scoffed as she pulled on my hair, dragging me out of the small space that I assumed was the living room and into the kitchen. There was a door near the back that she flung open. It was dark outside, and I tried to keep my feet under me as she dragged me through the backyard toward what looked like a gardening shed.
Clara took out a key from her pocket and shoved it into the padlock on the sliding barn-style door. She opened it and blackness gaped at me from within. I tried to back away, but she had a death grip on my hair and was surprisingly strong for such a small person. Her other hand grabbed a hold of my arm and shoved me inside the shed. With my hands still tied behind my back, I couldn’t break my fall and my head slammed against the cold concrete floor, stars bursting in my vision.
I turned over, catching a brief glimpse of Clara as she rolled the door closed, locking me inside.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Tyson
My body ached like I’d gone five rounds with the biggest dude in the league. Everything hurt, even my throat which was raw and inflamed from the night of the fire and my screams. I would give anything for a drink of water and something to eat. She hadn’t fed me anything but protein bars since I woke up in this hell hole. And I’d only gotten a few sips of water here and there.
She was going to starve me to death.
I had drifted into a pain-hazed, shallow sleep when the sound of the door opening woke me. I groaned, I’d spent all day with her and she was back already. There was a part of me that wanted to pretend I was passed out, but the sound of someone gasping made my eyes snap open.
That sound hadn’t come from Clara.
There was only one, dim light in the shed and it was hard to see anything when it was night, but someone was pushed into the shed. She crashed to the floor with a small cry that sent my heart ricocheting against my ribs.
The door rolled shut with a thunderous clash. The padlock clicked into place from outside.
I stared at the girl on the floor, praying I was hallucinating. This couldn’t be real. She could not be here. My chest constricted as her terrified, blue eyes—clearer and brighter than Clara’s ever would be—met mine.
“Tyson,” she breathed, and any hope I had burst like a soap bubble.
I shook my head. “No.” My voice was a hoarse whisper, causing pain to flare down my throat. “What are you doing here?”
Tears filled her eyes as she struggled to sit up. There was a gash on her forehead where a welt was rising. Blood dripped down the side of her face. “I found you.” She sounded…almost relieved.
My stomach roiled and I thought I was going to puke, but it was too empty for that. I looked away, the panic overwhelming me. “Why the hell were you looking for me, Ellie? This isn’t safe. You shouldn’t be here.”
I looked back and she was on her knees, crawling to me, her hands tied behind her back. I clenched my jaw hard, almost breaking my back teeth. This was too much.
“It’s okay, Ty.” She was in front of me now, so close I could smell her—like wildflowers and salty skin. It brought me both comfort and terror. She shouldn’t be here.
“No, it’s not okay. It’s the opposite of okay.” She didn’t understand the mess we were in—the danger. “She…she hates you. She…she will hurt you.” My eyes burned with sudden tears but I didn’t care. The thought of someone laying a goddamn hand on her made me want to die. I couldn’t save her. Not now. I’d been trying for what seemed like weeks to get out of here. I wasn’t strong enough. I’d barely managed to loosen the rusty legs of the chair I was bound to.
Ellie leaned into me, pressing her face to my chest. Her warmth was a tiny ray of sunshine in this horrible, dark place.
“Ty, are you okay?” Her voice was forced calm, but I heard a slight quiver in it. Good. She should be scared.
I swallowed hard. “I don’t know,” I said truthfully. Everything hurt. My knee throbbed and I think I’d strained it trying to get free. Mentally, I was shredded. My brain felt like mush and now, with Ellie here and in danger, everything was brought to a new level.
She looked up at me, her eyes shining with grief. “Did she hurt you? What happened, Ty? What’s going on?” She searched my face, hers filled with confusion and fear.
“I’m so sorry, Ellie,” I choked out, the weight of everything crushing me. “It’s all my fault.”
Ellie struggled against her bindings, but it was no use. She bit her lip, looking at me helplessly. “It’s not. This isn’t your fault.”
I nodded. “It is.” My head was heavy and I had to work to keep it from slumping forward. My vision came in and out of focus. The exhaustion and lack of food were getting to me, but I couldn’t succumb. Not when Ellie was here. “Clara, she…she’s not right. I didn’t know…”
Ellie shushed me, as if trying to soothe me, but I shook my head. She had to understand. “I hooked up with her. It was a long time ago, but she was…she was in love with me, I guess. I didn’t think twice about it, but she never forgot.”
Her face paled. “You were with Clara?”
There was a hint of hurt in her tone that hit me right in the chest. “I’m sorry. I didn’t really even know her. She….she had some kind of breakdown afterwards. She was hospitalized, and it hadn’t been the first time either. I had no idea, Ellie.”
She froze as she took in this information. It was hard even for me to understand. Clara had been talking to me a lot while I was stuck in this shed. She told me of her life, how her father had been institutionalized when she was young. Her mother raised her until Clara started showing concerning symptoms when she was twelve. She ended up being committed from the ages of thirteen to sixteen.
Apparently, I was her undoing when we were in college. I hadn’t known, or cared, back then. I guess this was what I deserved for who I’d been...the things I’d done. But Ellie didn’t. She shouldn’t pay for my mistakes.
“What about Abel? How is he involved in this?”
I blinked at her. I hadn’t seen him much, but he showed up once to punch me in the gut. “He’s…her brother.”
Shock flashed across her face. Then, she pressed her lips into a thin line. She leaned close, her gaze boring into mine. “We’re going to get out of here, Ty. It’ll be okay.”
I stared at her, amazed at her look of confidence. I drew in a breath. “She stopped taking her meds when I came back to town. She said she didn’t feel the same about me when she was on them and she wanted that feeling back. She wanted to be in love with me.” Nausea surged in my gut as I looked away. “She won’t let me go, Ellie.”
And now, she wasn’t going to let Ellie go, either.
“Tyson.” Ellie’s voice was soft, but strong. My blood heated whenever she called me by my full name. I met her gaze. “We will make it through this.” She said it with such determination that I almost believed her. She craned her neck and pressed a soft, sweet kiss on my lips.
It was like a salve to my wounds, reviving my very soul. Ellie’s lips parted and I breathed her in, inhaling her strength. I kissed her as if it was the last thing I’d ever do. The kiss turned desperate and hot and my hands ached to reach for her, to pull her close and never let her go.
Something stirred in the depths of my core. Something I didn’t know existed ignited within me, making all my terror and fear and guilt fade until there was nothing left but Ellie and my love for her.
I would not let anything happen to her.
It didn’t matter that I was weak, because she wasn’t. She was strong and she believed in me. I couldn’t let her down. I couldn’t let all the things I thought I was and all the things my garbage father had pushed on me, win. She was my purpose and I was going to protect her, even if I died doing so.
I was so lost in our kiss—lost in her—that I barely noticed when the door opened again. There was a screeching cry and Ellie was ripped away from me. My blood seethed as Clara flung her against the wall by her hair, screaming obscenities.
I saw red. Everything in me was ready to fight. I struggled against the ropes binding my calves to the chair. The bolts that kept the chair legs in place had already loosened some and I kicked against them hard, ignoring the pain. If I could get my legs free, maybe I could do something.
