Remember Me: Oakville Series:Book Two (31 page)

“W
HY WOULDN’T
you tell me something that big, Jax? I’m your wife. Shouldn’t we have discussed something so serious before you did it?” I hear Leena whine to Jax.
Wife!
They’re married? No wonder they looked so cozy at the fair. I keep my eyes closed and continue to eavesdrop, hoping they don’t realize I’m awake.

“You would think you would have learned how this marriage works by now. I tell you what you need to know and if I don’t tell you something, it’s obviously because it’s none of your damn business. You have no say in anything I do,” Jax snarls at her. I hear her whimper and open one of my eyes, ever so slightly. This is beginning to feel a little too familiar for me.

Jax and Leena are in the kitchen. He has his back to me, but I can see the grip he has around her neck. Here we go again. Definitely all too damn familiar. Making the mistake of looking into her eyes, I see the terror in them. He’s never treated her this way before and she’s absolutely frozen in fear. She sees me watching their interaction and her eyes start pleading with me to help her. Oh, no! I’m not doing this again. I’m not feeling sorry for another bitch who fell for the wrong guy and had no problems trying to ruin my life at his order. Why should I give two shits about what happens to her? She didn’t care about me all the times she was trying to seduce my husband. Where was her caring side when she was screwing my husband a few hours after we buried our babies? She didn’t have a single sympathetic bone in her body when she was rubbing my nose in the fact that she had my husband.

“We’re just having her sign her money over to you and then we’re leaving like we planned, right?” she asks. So, that’s what he’s wanted this whole time. Money. All of this for a few dollars that I would have gladly handed over if it meant having my grandmother with me. He must tighten his grip on her neck because pure panic washes over her face as it turns a darker shade of red. The evil laugh that comes from Jax’s mouth could win Academy Awards.

“Leena, you are as dumb and naive as Amber is.” She flinches when he leans in and kisses the top of her forehead. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I take that back. You are way more naive and a lot dumber than Amber is. You want to know why?” When she shakes her head no, he continues. “I’ll fill ya in anyway. You really believe I love you, that this is a real marriage. It isn’t and never was. I wanted someone who would do things for me whenever I needed and the only way to do that was to make you believe I loved you. After those papers are signed, you are just as useless to me as she is,” he snarls as he spins, catching me watching them. “Glad to see you’re finally awake, we can get this show on the road. Sorry about the head-butt, but you really left me no choice. I didn’t want to hit you, that’s not my style. I’ve always had Beau for that,” he says with a smirk as he tosses Leena on the couch next to me. What is he talking about?

“What do you mean you always had Beau for that? What does he have to do with any of this?” I question. My head is starting to spin with all of the curve balls being thrown at me.

“I suppose it won’t hurt to tell you now. You won’t be able to repeat it to anyone anyway. If Beau wasn’t so damn stupid, we could’ve avoided this whole ugly scene. I did my homework, Amber.” The smug bastard sits in the chair across from me. He’s so damn proud of himself. “I knew about Beau’s little obsession with you and his hobby. You know, the one where he liked to rape, torture, and kill women who reminded him of you.” I gasp, horrified. “Maybe you didn’t know that last part. Oh well. Anyway, he was completely happy with the substitutes, but I convinced him he could have the real thing. I lied a little, of course, and made him think you’d fall madly in love with him. He just had to get you away from Kyle long enough. So, I worked out a deal with him. I would help him get you and the only thing I wanted in return aside from his silence, was for you to sign everything you own to me in your will. No matter how easy I made it for Beau, he always managed to screw it up. Poor bastard just wasn’t too bright, was he? And believe me, I made it a piece of cake. I all but handed you over to him. I did have fun watching all of your little minions scramble around trying to keep you safe. I just don’t get it. What is so fucking special about you? Why does everyone love you so goddamn much?”

“You sound a little jealous. That’s what all this is really about, isn’t it?” He stands up and I follow his lead. Screw it. If I’m going down, then I’m going down swinging. His eyes are full of hatred, he’s grinding his teeth, and shaking from anger. “You’re jealous because
my
grandparents chose me over you. Your dad probably would’ve done the same if he were given the chance. Even your own mother chose drugs over you. You’re jealous because I have friends who love me and stick by me. Who do you have, Jax? Leena? Not anymore after this little charade, I suppose. The only friend you’ve ever had was me. The person you hate the most is the only person who’s ever really been your friend.”
Too far, Amber
, I think to myself before his fist meets my face again. Plain blooms when he connects with my lip and the coppery taste of blood is making me queasy, but I refuse to give him the satisfaction of knowing he hurt me. I smile at him and laugh as I wipe away the blood that’s dripping from my lip.

“You think you’re so much better than me. Well guess what, bitch, you’re not. I win. I’ll be getting the money that should’ve been mine in the first place. I will also have the pleasure not only of watching you take your last breathe, but also knowing that your dickhead husband will spend the rest of his worthless life feeling guilty because he isn’t the hero he thinks he is.” Even with all that’s happened, the thought of the pain Kyle will go through hurts me. I know how I would feel if the situation was reversed and I don’t want that for him. Just like that, Jax causes me more pain than I thought capable. “You have a little to feel guilty for yourself. You promised Kyle you’d never jump to conclusions again about a situation, but you did. The whole thing with Leena was staged. We drugged Kyle so we could make it look like they slept together. He never laid a finger on her,” he says, looking very pleased with himself.

His admission knocks the air from my lungs and as a stabbing pain enters my heart. I did it again. I’m never gonna have the chance to tell him how sorry I am. How can I get myself out of this? Thinking quickly, I remember that I packed the handgun Beasley bought for me and taught me to shoot. He made me promise to always have it close by. But how am I going to get to my bag in the bedroom? Just then, Jax’s phone rings. He answers it, tells them to hang on a minute, then cups the phone.

“I know you girls aren’t the sharpest knives in the drawer, but stay put. There’s no way off the island, it won’t do any of us any good to have you thinking you’ll live through this. I’m not Beau,” he snaps. Once he’s in the kitchen, Leena nudges me. I want so much to just ignore the bitch. If Becky were here, she’d pop her right in the face.

“Please, Amber. I need you to see this before he gets back,” she pleads. Oh, hell. I need to grow a set of balls. I look over her way and see a cell phone in her hand. It looks like it’s connected on a call. How long has she had that thing going and who the hell is on the other end? As quietly as I can, I ask.

“Who is on the other end?

“I called Kyle when I first got here and overheard the two of you talking. They were already on their way. They’ve heard everything. We have to stall him a little longer.” She whispers.

“Just make sure Jax doesn’t see that phone. If he does, you’re on your own, sweetheart.” I swear I hear laughter come from the phone. I wonder who all is coming with Kyle. That’s a stupid question that I already know the answer to. Everybody is coming with Kyle. If they’ve heard everything, then he knows I know the truth. Thank God. I tilt my head down and just above a whisper say, “I love you, Kyle. I’m so sorry. Now, put that away Leena before he sees it.” I have to figure out a way to get my gun from my bag. The only person I told about the gun and the lessons was Holly, so there’s no way Jax has any idea I have it. Leena barely gets the cell phone out of sight before Jax returns to the living room.

“Okay, Amber, time to sign these papers. My ride out of here will be arriving in about thirty minutes.”

“Fine. I’m not going to fight you, what’s the use? I’m sure you’ll also want the combination to my safe and the key to my safe deposit box at the bank?” He looks a little surprised. Good, if I can throw him off a little, maybe I can stall until help arrives.

“Where’s the key at? And why are you being so cooperative all of a sudden?”

“The key is in my bag. I give up. I want to be with my babies and you can give me that. As far as the money goes, it’s yours. You can have it all.” He looks at me for what seems like forever.

“Fine, go get it. I swear, if you try anything, I won’t just take off like I planned. I will find Kyle and Beasley first and make them pay,” he threatens. He is one sick son of a bitch.

I slowly walk into the bedroom, feeling his eyes burning a hole in my back. Keeping my back to him, I bend over and reach into the bag. I feel around until I find my gun and a key. The key is a spare to the supply cabinet at the bar but Jax doesn’t need to know that. As inconspicuously as I can, I slip the gun down the front of my shorts. Just to ensure it doesn’t fall out, I make sure it’s lying between my skin and panties. I turn back around and walk up to Jax.

“If you have an extra piece of paper, I’ll write down the bank info and the combination,” I tell him, trying to stall any way I can. He motions for me to sit at the dining room table and I do. He puts a blank piece of paper in front of me along with a pen. I write down the name of the first bank that comes to mind and a fake box number. Then I write down the old four number combination to the safe at the house. I slide the paper back to him and take the two page will he’s had prepared. Praying that he’s the one that doesn’t make it out of this house, I sign the papers.

“This was much easier than I thought it would be.” He says with a huge smile.

“Yeah, well, you could have avoided all of this if you told me who you were. I would’ve gladly given you the money.”

“You aren’t getting it, are you? It’s not just about the money. It’s you. I want you gone for good. Pretending to be your friend all this time has been torture. The moment I watch you take your last breathe will be like Christmas morning for me.”

A simple I hate you would have done. Waiting for my chance to pull the gun on him, I try to remember everything Beasley taught me. He said the most important thing to remember is that if you are going to pull a gun on someone, you better be certain you can pull the trigger. Can I really shoot Jax? Yes, yes I can. I don’t think he’s having any reservations about ending my life, so I have to do whatever I can to save myself. I’ll deal with the guilt later. Leena’s whiney voice takes Jax’s attention from me. This could be the distraction I need.

“What about me, Jax? You aren’t going to hurt me, are you?”

Jax turns away from me and walks toward Leena.
It’s now or never.
Taking a deep breathe, I reach for the gun, flipping off the safety as I pull it from my shorts.

“I’ll make it quick, Leena, don’t worry. I’ll even let you chose who goes first,” he says before turning back to me. Shock registers on his face when he sees the gun. He takes a small step forward and raises his hands. “What are you gonna do with that? Shoot me?” He laughs. “You don’t have it in you, Amber,” he snarls as he lunges forward.

Everything that happens next is in slow motion. When I see him coming at me, I only have a couple seconds to react. I don’t have any other choice. I aim for his kneecap. No matter how much I want to, I still can’t bring myself to kill him. He’s right, I don’t have it in me. I’m not him. I’m not a murderer. When I pull the trigger, I’m not expecting it to be as loud as it is and I stammer back slightly. I’ve only shot at the range with ear protection on. I recover and look back at him as he falls to the floor.

“You bitch!” he screams, grabbing his injured knee. There’s blood everywhere. My hands are shaking. What did I just do? I still have the gun pointed at him, but I’m frozen in place. Looking at him on the floor, bleeding and in pain makes me realize something. He isn’t hurting enough. He’s caused every bad thing to happen in my life. He killed my grandmother. He set up everything that happened with Beau. He made me believe Kyle cheated on me.
Again.
Thinking clearer that I ever have in my life, I know what has to be done. He has to pay for it all.