More Than Scars (44 page)

             
He frowned.

             
“Liam holds all of my secrets.”

             
His frown deepened. “Rissa that doesn’t make sense!”

             
“It will.” I reached for his hand. “Please?”

             
Ian met my gaze for a moment and took in a deep breath. “Fine,” he growled and went for his coat and the keys. “You won’t have a coat,” he protested, as he handed them over.

             
I shoved them in my jeans. “I have one in my closet in my room. Mom always makes sure we have clothes here. Always kept her from going through the empty nest issue if she felt we still lived here. Tears teased the corners of my eyes. I had to get her home safe.

             
I picked up Al’s phone and texted.
3:30 am…that place.

             
Ian looked to me with confusion and I gave him a quick hug.

             
“I love you friend. I really do.”

             
He squeezed me tight. “Are you sure this is the right way?”

             
I nodded.

             
“I love you friend,” he whispered back with emotion.

             
I hurried to my bedroom, closing the door behind.

             
I leaned against the door and willed the trembling to stop. The black spots were in my vision so I closed my eyes and took in a few breaths. I could do this! I hurried to the closet and pulled on the jacket on that was hanging inside it. It wasn’t winter material…but it was better than nothing!

             
I was able to quietly open my window and shivered as the cold blast hit my body. I glanced over my shoulder and decided locking my door would be a good idea. It would put Al off for a few minutes more if he tried the door any time soon! I turned the lock and dashed to my window, throwing my leg over and out onto the escape.

             
The snow was falling even heavier now and it made my decent a little slippery but I managed to get down without falling but my hands were numb and managing the keys was almost impossible. I turned the car on and let the back and front wipers do quick work of the snow.

             
My eyes kept glancing toward the stoop, expecting to see Al come crashing through the door. When the light from my bedroom came on…I knew my wait time was up and I put the car in drive and was off. I sent a little prayer up for Ian that Al would believe his story!

             
I made my way down familiar streets all but dead in the early morning. Give it another two hours and commuters would be on their way to work. It would be a different picture than the chilling one now.

             
I went down memory lane as I pulled down the road of the intended meeting. Our old house was only minutes from here. At the end of the road was an old restaurant…just a quaint little place at one time. It had long since been boarded up. Not much happened on this street anymore. It had all but gone to ruins. To me it felt like poetic justice for what had happened here. It was the street on which my father had died.

             
My hands trembled on the steering wheel and I slowed.

             
We had been leaving the restaurant…dinner out with Daddy. I’d felt so grown up at sixteen. I’d been in a dress…he was in a suit. I was wearing Mom’s heels and her long dress coat. I felt special. We did this once a month without fail! We’d walk up the block together and then walk back with no issue…until that night.

             
I saw dark spots float before my eyes and my arms felt weak. I squeezed the steering wheel and shook my head. I pulled up to the spot. I hadn’t been here since.

             
It had been snowing that night! Dad had almost called Mom to pick us up because of the heavy snow. He didn’t want me walking home in my heels. I had called him silly! Tears rose up now. “You weren’t silly,” I whispered to myself. How I wished we had called her!

             
I put the car in park and stared now at the spot I had recalled many times in my memories…in my nightmares. It was covered in snow now…as it has been that night…but there was no blood. It was just the purest of whites. I swallowed and shut off the engine. I pushed the door open and slid out of the car.

             
The cold took my breath away, but I welcomed the icey fingers. It woke me up and chased away the faint that had been upon me. I thoughtlessly walked to the spot I had last seen my father alive. I ran through in my mind his struggle, his cries…the cowardice of the man running away…and the uttered words of a dying man. “I love you Nerissa, your Mom, your brother. Always remember I love you.”

             
I bit my lip now and my body shook as I fought the sobs.

             
“You are lovelier now then you were then.”

             
I froze and the bile rose in my throat. The rage I felt now I don’t remember ever feeling, but I tamped it down and turned to meet my attacker, my father’s murderer, my mother’s kidnapper. “I’m here,” I said evenly.

             
“Do you know that night…I had planned to take you? I took your Father’s ring instead…but I wanted you. He knew that. It is why he fought so hard.”

             
I didn’t want to look at him and the bile was nearly choking me now. But I looked in his face. His dark eyes were full of malice and his silver hair was salt and pepper hair was brushed back severely from them, making them the dominant feature on his face. I wanted to look away in fear but my pride would not allow it.

             
“I would have taken you too…and then you began to scream as if something had awoken in you…a will to live. I ran…but knew if I found a moment…I would take it to make you mine.” He smiled wickedly. “I didn’t know your big brother would become so protective! And then I didn’t know watching you would become so fulfilling! Capturing you…trapping you would be like putting a butterfly in a jar. I wanted to watch you without hindering my view.!”

             
I took a step back as he took a step forward.

             
“So scared? Do not step away from me.”

             
“Where is my Mom?” I whispered.

             
“First we talk.” He stepped forward and I forced my legs to not move. He reached out and touched my hair, sighing with contentment.

             
I swallowed and gritted my teeth.

             
“Beautiful Nerissa…why did you have to change everything? Now I can’t watch you…you are behind those walls with that man. The man you let touch you…you let kiss you…you let in. You love him…don’t you? All these years you went keeping all of those suitors away...blocking their advances and it’s the scarred broken one that breaks through.” He stepped closer. “Answer me…you love him, don’t you?”

             
“Yes,” I spoke clearly. “I love Liam.”

             
He growled and suddenly I was spun about, his arm crushing me to his chest and something sharp to my neck. I had no time to react. “I said not to say his name.”

             
I gasped and did not struggle, sensing one movement would put that sharp blade into my skin. I murmured a sound of submission.

             
His lips came to my ear.

             
“I wanted to slit his throat each morning he came to the stables because I knew you loved him. I knew you wanted him! I knew you would let his hands on you. You wouldn’t struggle against him. You would give yourself to him.”

             
I closed my eyes and tears squeezed out.

             
His lips were at my throat now. The knife lifted to my cheek. “You give yourself to me without struggle and your mother is free,” he breathed. His hand slid to my waist pulling me tighter to his body. His teeth grazed my skin. “Deal?”

             
I wanted to wretch right there. “No,” I whispered. “I’m Liam’s,” I said in defiance. I felt the bite of the blade at my cheek and gasped at the stinging pain. The warmth ran down my face and I knew that I was cut. In the same instant, I was freed of the man.

             
I fell to the snow and saw the tell tale drops of blood below me. They were scarlet in the white. I reached up and touched my cheek, my fingers were instantly wet.

             
I turned to the sounds of the struggle behind me. My eyes must have been playing tricks on me. I expected a policeman…Liam would have called the police…he would have read the letter on the desk. He would have known the place. I had told him about it in great detail that night in my bed. I had told him it was the last place I ever wanted to go again! Of course he would want to be here with me! Liam had come after me…he had left his safe place.

             
The man was beneath him now and Liam had the knife. He raised it above him now. He was going to attack.

             
“Liam no!” I screamed.

             
The brown eyes found mine.

             
I scrambled through the snow to him. “He knows where my Mom is!”

             
The man beneath Liam was still and whimpering.

             
“We know where she is,” Liam said through his teeth. His eyes dropped to the man below. “We may not have gotten his finger prints when he came to work at the house…but the idiot gave his real address. Your mother is safe.” His arms were still poised above him.

             
“Liam, you can’t kill him,” I whispered softly.

             
“I could end this for you now Nerissa.” He drug in a deep breath. “He has tortured you long enough!”

             
“He will pay,” I whispered, walking on my knees now to him. “He will. But not at the expense of me losing you.” I glared down at the man who had brought me so much agony. “He can rot in a cell knowing we are happy out here…living…loving…together.”

             
The man began to say something and Liam emitted a growl. He pulled back his arm and threw his fist into his face, effectively shutting him up and knocking him out.

             
Liam lowered the knife, tossing it aside .His eyes turned to me and softened. He pushed away from the man and pulled me into his arms. His hand reached out and brushed at the blood. “You’re hurt.”

             
“You’re here,” I whispered. My hands grasped at the massive shoulders, suddenly needing something to hold onto. I was feeling light headed.

             
“I had to come,” he whispered back. “I told you I was going to make this right my love! You are mine now. I’m done hiding!” He smiled. His lips touched mine tenderly.

I swear I saw sparks. The warm eyes before me blurred and then refocused. I shook my head, trying to fight the numbness.

“Look what you’ve faced tonight Nerissa! Look what we’ve both faced!”

             
It was then that it hit me…the shock…it all came flooding in at once and it was too much the darkness came flooding in. I didn’t fight it this time. Didn’t have the strength. I let the strength of the one I trusted the most take over.

Chapter 22 Fairytales

              Waking in the hospital was strange. It was scary strange. Seeing the relieved face of my mother above me quickly tamped down that fear. I nearly tore away the I.V. they had on me out of my arm to get to her. Apparently I was dehydrated and my body had gone into shock. Go figure. My cheek throbbed and I found by tentatively searching with my fingers that it was bandaged up. I was informed I had several stitches where I had been cut, but there would be no scarring…if any the lightest of marks.

             
“No his and hers,” Ian had teased me when he came to visit that next morning. I was very upset at him. I knew he had as much lack of sleep as I had.

And I was upset because I very much would have preferred seeing the other brother walking through the door but baby steps. What Liam had done was a big deal.
A huge deal.

Ian did bring a very large bunch of white roses with him…from his brother. This did make up somewhat for my disappointment.

“You would think he would upgrade from white to red,” Ian sighed.