Surviving the Storm, page 15
My father stopped him from seeing me? I had no idea he was even there.
"When?" I ask, my curiosity getting the best of me as my heart picks up the pace.
"The day after Johnathan was sentenced."
"But…" my voice trails off. I have no idea what to say.
"He's in love with you, Amelia. He wanted to wait until Johnathan was out of your life permanently."
"He doesn't even know me," I say in confusion.
"He knows how he feels, how you make him feel, and that's enough for him. The rest are minor details. And to be honest with you, I've never seen him like this before, with anyone. He's never cared about someone the way he cares about you."
I begin cracking eggs into a mixing bowl as I process everything Monica's told me. It's preposterous. He can't be in love with me. My life is a mess, and I'm not that much more put together. The only thing I can think is he's in love with having someone to save.
Because that's what he's been trying to do since the moment we met. Protect and save me. From Johnathan. And now he's supposed to be locked away. Once they catch him and he's behind bars for good, Micah will realize his feeling for me have been skewed.
He's not in love with me. He's in lust with me. It's a physical attraction. I'm attracted to him as well, who wouldn't be? That body, the sweet words that flow off his lips. I'd have to be blind not to see how sexy he is, but to be in love with someone… that takes more than wanting to rip their clothes off.
Twenty-One
Johnathan
It's time to make my move. I've watched them from a distance for too long, hot fucking days, and I don't want to wait any longer. Last night, when I went back to my shit-hole of a hotel room, it had been raided. They found where I was staying, which also means they're that much closer to finding me.
Time is running out.
I need to end this and get the fuck out of the country.
By this time tomorrow night, I'll be on my way to Las Vegas. After that, I'll travel north until I reach Canada. Ideally I'd like to go overseas, and one day I will. For now, this is my best option.
Powering my phone on, I send Beth the bait and patiently wait for her reply.
ME: Game on, bitch
BETH: If you insist.
ME: Which house are you in? The blue one or the yellow one?
There's a long pause before she replies.
BETH: Neither.
ME: Don't play stupid with me. I know you have a team in each house. You really should be more careful with your routines. It was easy to spot what was happening.
BETH: Why don't you come on over and find out for yourself, then?
ME: Actually, maybe I will. See you soon.
Now she has a choice to make. Does she send a team to find me, by tracking my phone, or wait for me to come to her? Turning toward town, I toss the phone out the window and head to the park behind Ayers’s house. I can watch them scramble through his back windows.
The same way I've been watching Monica and Amelia the last two nights.
Hell, that first night I almost went in to get her. I would have, too, if I hadn't seen a light turn on. Dawn was close to breaking, and I had fallen asleep in my car. I had dreamt about killing Amelia again, and when I woke up, I decided it was time to get it over with.
I had just jumped the fence and was halfway across the backyard when a light flicked on inside. Ducking into the shadows, I waited for it to turn off again, but it didn't. Instead, more lights were turned on, and a few minutes later, Monica and Amelia appeared in the kitchen window.
My eyes were glued to them. I couldn't help but watch the two of them as they casually chatted.
Of course they would end up friends. Bitches stick together.
I was about to leave when I heard the sound of the gate open. Garcia walked up the back path and knocked on the door. Ayers answered quickly, ushering him inside and looking around the backyard before closing the door.
Needing to get out of there before the light of day began to shine on me, I hopped back over the fence and returned to my car. As I was about to pull away from the park, a small group exited the blue house on the left and entered the backyard followed by a small group from the yellow house on the right.
They had Amelia surrounded. They were going to keep her safe at all costs.
I pulled out my binoculars and then scanned all the windows along the back of the house, stopping when I found who I was looking for.
Beth. And it appeared she was staring in my direction.
I contemplated waving, but there was no way she could see me from that distance. Still, her stare was penetrating, and it was at that moment I decided she needed to be a casualty in all of this as well. Not today. Not tomorrow. But soon.
Two police cars, sirens blaring and lights flashing, pass me as I enter the city limits. There's another cop sitting at the entrance to Ayers’s subdivision, parked behind the gas station on the corner but not out of sight.
I take the second street on my right, keeping my eyes peeled for more law enforcement vehicles. After circling the block twice, I pull over and park a few houses down from where I have been the last few nights. The park is across the street and appears to be empty as the light of day begins to fade.
Smiling to myself, I get out of my car, lock it, and pretend to stretch as I walk across the street. I hate running with a passion, but in order to avoid appearing suspicious, I run around the park a few times before staking out Ayers’s house from the safety of my car.
It gets my heart pumping, my adrenaline racing, and makes me eager to fight. To take down anyone in my way. Allows me time to clear my head and formulate a plan.
Tonight’s plan consists of breaking into Ayers’s house and kidnapping Amelia.
I was going to kill her there, but I'd rather build up the suspense. Make them worry about her. Have them fight to save her only to fall short.
Failure, on their part, will be what breaks them. Beth especially.
Then, when she's at her lowest, I'll find her and put her out of her misery. I'm looking forward to the day I'm able to carry out that part of my plan.
Nearing my car, I notice a man walking his dog down the sidewalk. I slow my pace and wait for them to pass before I approach and slide in quickly. My lungs are burning from the pace I set tonight, my blood boiling at the memories of what my wife has done to me.
As soon as I turn the engine over, I notice the man and his dog are headed back this direction. He's wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt and staring at the ground as he walks. The dog is trotting along, pulling the leash in an attempt to move faster.
Something feels off about this. I haven't seen a single person on this street in the last few nights. Only a few cars have driven past. It's a quiet neighborhood. Most of the houses go dark around ten o'clock if not earlier.
Stepping on the gas, I casually pull away from the curb and take off down the street, keeping an eye on the man in my rearview mirror as I come to the first stop sign. Waiting, I watch as he enters the house I was parked in front of and shuts off the lights behind him.
Circling the block once, I slide into my usual parking spot and cut the engine. Pulling out my binoculars, I notice a flicker of light coming from an interior room. I assume the television is on, which also means someone is still awake.
Checking the windows I can see on the blue house and the yellow house, there appears to be no movement in those either. It's eerily quiet. As if no one is really there, but that's what they want me to think.
I wait an hour. The flickering continues the whole time, but there's no other movement, so I slowly make my way to back fence. Listening intently for any sounds, I jump the fence with ease and take cover in the same shadowed corner I did the other night.
Using my binoculars, I check all the windows again, in all three houses, and all is clear. If someone was watching me, if they could see me, I would know.
Creeping close to the house, I snag a patio chair on my way and carefully set it beneath the center window. Stepping up, I steady myself and peer through the window.
Jackpot. It's the bathroom.
The window doesn't budge as I pushing up. It's locked. If I break the glass, it'll make enough noise that I'll be caught. I need to find another way in.
Putting the chair back where I found it, I keep my body low to the ground and make my way up the back path to the door. When I turn the handle, I'm surprised to find it unlocked.
Alarm bells ring in my head.
It's a trap.
There's no way they didn't lock the door.
Still, this may be my only chance to get her. If there's not a swat team waiting for me, I'll be able to continue as planned. If there is…
Contemplating the next five minutes of my life, I crack the door slightly and listen in. I can hear the sounds of the television off in the distance. Along with someone snoring.
There's no way this is a setup. Someone fucked up royally and forgot to lock the door behind them.
Entering, then pushing the door closed behind me, I stand to my full height, stretching out my legs before moving deeper in the house. The flickering of the TV is all I can focus on as I make my way down the hall, passing the kitchen on my right. I reach under my sweatshirt, then pull my gun from its holster and click off the safety lock.
I wasn’t going to risk going to the house to pick it up, but I’m glad I did now. Having a gun will make her more cooperative.
Raising it as I turn the corner into the living room, my jaw drops open when my eyes adjust to the light and the scene before me is on full display.
My wife. In the arms of another man.
Ayers has her wrapped up in a blanket. He's sleeping behind her on the couch. One of his hands is holding her around the middle, the other is tucked under a pillow they're sharing.
They appear comfortable. As if this is something they do on a regular basis. Cuddle. Spoon on the couch.
Spend time together.
Just the two of them.
As a couple.
How sweet.
How predictable.
They can be together now that I'm out of the picture I guess.
I saw this coming. I even asked her about her relationship with him, and she lied to my face. Lied about even knowing him. It makes me wonder how long this has been going on.
Were they screwing around behind my back? Seeing each other before we were married? After?
Amelia was an excellent liar. Her innocence is all I could see when I confronted her about him.
But he wasn't a good liar.
I saw it in his eyes. The way he was looking at her. He wanted her. Wanted what I had. There was a passion in his eyes from the first time they met. Desire.
The night I proposed, I was convinced it was anger I was seeing. He was pissed because I had moved on. Angry he still didn't have answers about his sister.
And it probably was.
But the more I think about it, I'd bet there was also a hint of jealousy in his hateful glare.
And now… he has her. My wife. The woman who swore to love me through the good times and the bad.
Over my dead body.
Slowly approaching, I block the light from the TV and watch as Amelia begins to stir. She turns into Ayers’s arms, placing one hand on his chest, and snuggles into his neck. His body instinctively pulls her tighter, his hand moving to rest on her ass.
Grinding my teeth to keep from screaming, I contemplate how to get her away from him without waking him. There's no way that's going to happen. Not with the way they're wrapped in each other right now.
I need a plan B.
A way to get Amelia away from Micah.
Monica.
If her relationship with Amelia is as strong as I think it's become, Amelia would do anything to save her. Including trading places with her.
I step away from the couch and move down the opposite hallway. Peeking in each door as I make my way, I reach the end of the hall and find one closed door. It has to be the room Monica is hiding in.
The door creaks as I open it, turning the handle slowly. I slip inside the room without giving it a second thought.
"What do you want, Micah?" Monica asks, the sound of her voice sending shock waves straight to my dick.
I forgot how sultry her voice was. How much I liked the sound of it, even if she thinks I'm her brother. It makes me wish I could flip her over and slide deep inside her right now.
We had so much fun together. If it had just been about the sex, about fulfilling each other’s need, I never would have gotten rid of Monica. Our relationship was nothing like what I had with Amelia, though. Monica was a better fuck, but Amelia was easier to control. She didn't have a nosy brother or family constantly getting involved in our lives. And Amelia followed the rules.
Standing at the end of the bed, I watch her for a few more minutes before she speaks again.
"I'm trying to sleep, asshole. You told me I couldn't leave the room, and now you're sneaking around the house at all hours of the night. Go to sleep."
When I don't answer her this time, she sits up in the bed, and our eyes meet. I raise the gun when Monica opens her mouth to scream, and she scrambles to the head of the bed and pulls the covers tightly around her.
"Nice to see you, sweetheart," I say, my voice sickly sweet.
"What the hell do you want, Johnathan?"
"Well, I came here for Amelia, but she's twisted up with your brother right now, so you get to take a trip with me. Get dressed. We're leaving."
"No," she replies firmly.
I pull back on the slide and load the gun, then motion with it for her to get out of bed. She moves quickly, her eyes never leaving the gun as she pulls a sweatshirt over her head and steps into her shoes. When she reaches for her phone, I clear my throat, her hand stopping in midair.
"Leave it. I wouldn't want to make it too easy for them to find us." After she sets it back on the table, I snag her by the upper arm and pull her toward the window. "Unlock it and climb down. If you run, I'll shoot you."
An alarm sounds when the window slides up. Pushing it up the remainder of the way, I then pick Monica up and push her through. After I've cleared the window and my feet are firmly on the ground, I grab her by the arm again and pull her through the yard.
I can hear Ayers yelling. Lights begin to flicker on in every house around us, but that doesn't stop me. Once we're over the fence and safely in my car, I speed off.
"What do you want with me, Johnathan?" Monica finally asks as we make our way into the depths of town.
"Nothing. We had our fun. I want Amelia, and you're going to help me get her."
"It won't work."
"That depends how in love with her your brother is."
Monica's eyes go wide in shock, and I know I've won. Whatever I want, I'll have.
Twenty-Two
Amelia
Johnathan has a plan. Part of it has to be to drive me crazy. Why else would he tell Beth he was coming for me and not make a move?
It feels like it's been weeks when, really, it's only been a few days. Still, we've been cooped up here, unable to leave the house. We've watched movies, played games. Hell, we even made it through an entire game of Monopoly yesterday. It took seven hours, but Monica finally bankrupted both of us.
I told Garcia I was done. After tonight, I am heading back home.
With Johnathan, everything is a mental game. For all we know, he was using his threat to come for me to keep the trail off him while he made his escape.
I have nothing to offer him. I want nothing from him. He can blame me all he wants for being caught, but at the end of the day, everything that happened was a setup.
The accidental meeting, our relationship, our marriage, the life we were building together was all a sham. We were both pawns being controlled by other players. I didn't have a say in the matter. I didn't even know what was happening until plans were in motion and the end was near.
I'm sure he can't see that. He doesn't want to. He needs someone to blame. Someone who was close to him. Garcia has to be on that list, but so am I, and apparently I'm at the top. Otherwise, he'd move on and leave me alone. He'd run as fast and as far as he could while he still can.
He has his money. He could disappear to anywhere he wanted and live the lifestyle he's accustomed to.
But his money hasn't been touched.
His accounts are being monitored, and his cell phone is being tracked, when it's on at least. Which happens about every eight to ten hours.
They were able to find the hotel he was staying at, but he wasn't there. They raided his room and found a stash of cash and bullets but no gun. The hotel manager was no help, unable to give any details about the car he is driving.
Then, just as I was about to demand they let me leave tonight, Beth received another text. Garcia called in the location while she kept him on the phone, but by the time they arrived at the restaurant parking lot where he texted her from, all they found was his discarded phone.
He's still here.
Out there somewhere. Probably watching and waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
That's all I could focus on as I lay down on the couch. I haven't been able to fall asleep anywhere else, so I curl up here every night, alone, and when I wake, Micah is always sleeping behind me. Holding me. Protecting me.
We haven't talked about it. I know we should, but I can't seem to find the right words. I've thought it through over and over again, and the words just won't come. Maybe it's because I'm afraid of the feelings that are growing inside me.
Who am I kidding? That's exactly what the issue is.
I feel something for him. I like him. More than I should. And the more I get to know about him, the more I like him. The more I want to know. Stupid details about his life.
Who's his favorite band? What's his favorite color? Dream vacation?
Why did he break up with his one serious girlfriend?
Why didn’t he tell me he came to see me?
