by Kay Maree
Avon slams his hand against the doorframe, bringing me back to the present. I didn’t hear a word of what he said. “Avon…”
“I love when you beg my name.” He licks his lips and winks at me.
A shudder racks through my body. “Why are you here?”
“I want to see my son.”
“He’s not your son,” I spit.
“Fucking right he’s my son.” He turns his back on me, takes a few steps, and turns to glare at me. “Even though you are raising him to be a pansy-ass loser. You should have seen him yesterday at school, he’s a little pussy.” My eyes pop open when I realize he was at the school. “I should have belted you harder,” he spits at me. “Thank fuck the kid doesn’t have my last name.”
I refuse to let him get to me, I’m stronger than I was when I was with him. “If you don’t want him or me, why are you here, Avon?”
“Because I can.” His eyes roam over my body, he licks his lips again. Bile rises up the back of my throat. “You still are a sexy little thing. Are you still a promiscuous freaky bitch? Or has that navy fucker screwed you so hard, he’s broken your cunt?”
I stare at him blankly as he continues to shock me with each word that comes out of his mouth. “You always were a little whore, no wonder he hooked up with you. What do you say, wanna get fucked by a real man?” He grabs his crotch and thrusts his hips toward me.
Something snaps inside of me and I move toward him, he steps back at the anger radiating from me. “Get off my property!” I shout. “You are not wanted or welcome here.”
“I don’t give a flying fuck what you want or what’s welcome. What makes you think, after all this time, I’m going to listen to you?”
“Please, Avon. Just go.”
“Not ‘til I see my son.”
“The son you don’t want. The son who you know nothing about. The son you are glad doesn’t have your last name. Why in the hell would I allow him to see you?”
“Because he’s my fucking son and I want to see him,” he snarls as he steps toward me, for the first time since he arrived that fear I used to feel around him starts to develop. I’m so glad Ollie isn’t here right now. He hisses at me, and that’s when I notice his eyes are bloodshot, his pupils are dilated, seems he’s now into drugs.
“Avon, last warning before I call the police. Please leave.”
“You can’t keep him from me.”
“Try me,” I growl at him. I don’t recognize my voice as I step to him. “I’m not the meek woman I was back then. I’m stronger now, and if you try and touch me, or my son, I will fucking end you. Now get the fuck off my property.”
“You’re sexy when you’re feisty. Let’s go inside and hate fuck, that’s the best kind…well, the best kind is when you tried to fight me off, but hate fucking could be like that. Whatcha say, fuck for old times’ sake?”
The slamming of a car door startles me and it spooks Avon. Looking over, I see a fuming Griffin storming toward us.
“You okay, babe?” he asks, his eyes locked on Avon.
I nod my head up and down, relieved he’s here. “Yeah.” I turn my attention back to Avon. “Avon was just leaving.”
At the mention of Avon, Griffin walks faster toward me, he places his body in front of mine and stares Avon down.
“Autumn, I will see my son, there’s nothing you can do to stop me.”
A sob breaks free, but before I can say anything, he storms toward his car. Griffin turns to face me and when he touches my arm, I fall apart. Dropping to my knees, I cry into my hands. Breathing becomes difficult as I process the events of the last five minutes. Managing to get my breathing under control, I look up into Griffin’s eyes, currently laced with worry.
“Griffin,” I whisper. “What am I going to do?”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
GRIFF
On the drive over to Autumn’s for our date, I’m thrumming with nerves and excitement. I’m excited to see what happens tonight. This past week, not seeing her was tough but I get her all to myself—for the next twelve hours—thank you Carla and Howard. Pulling into her driveway, I look to her front door and smile when I see her outside to greet me, and then I see the look on her face and immediately know something is wrong. From the corner of my eye, I see someone on the path and the hairs on the back of my neck immediately prickle, it's the guy who blindsided me last weekend at the park.
Climbing out of my truck, I walk toward her. When I hear her say his name, my blood begins to boil. Stepping to her, I place myself in front of her. She’s breathing deeply, I’ve never seen her shaken like this before. When he snarls, “Autumn, I will see my son. There’s nothing you can do to stop me,” a protectiveness washes over me as I turn to face her.
“I think you need to leave,” I snarl between clenched teeth.
He stares at me and before I can say or do anything, he turns on his heel and leaves. We watch as his climbs into his car, tires screeching as he drives off.
She lets out a gut-wrenching wail, drops to her knees, and breaks down. She sobs like I have never seen her sob before, and we’ve watched Top Gun a million times, she loses it each and every time Goose dies. Reaching out, I rub her arm, she looks up at me and my heart breaks all over again. The real kicker is when she sadly pleads, “What am I going to do?”
Bending down, I pick her up and carry her inside. Stepping into the living room, I sit on the sofa with her across my lap. She snuggles into my neck and softly cries. “Shhhh,” I whisper, “Let it all out, I won’t let him hurt you or Ollie. I promise.”
She lifts her gaze to mine and shakes her heads. Quietly she states, “You don’t understand, Avon was far worse than I let on.”
“What do you mean?” I don’t like the tone she uses saying this and from forlorn expression on her face, I’m one-hundred-percent certain, I’m not going to like what she’s about to tell me.
She closes her eyes, takes a deep breath. Opening her eyes again, she stares blankly at the coffee table as she begins to speak. “Everyone thinks that last time, before I escaped, was the first time he physically assaulted me, but it wasn’t.” My eyes snap wide open at this admission from her. “As I’ve said before, he was wonderful when we first met, and he truly was. He charmed me and eventually, I fell for him: hook, line, and sinker. He was the first person I dated after you, the first person I let in, long after I graduated. I’d slept with a few others, while I was in school, but it was always just one-night thing.” I growl at this. “Down boy,” she teases.
We both laugh, it is what we need to defuse the intensity in the air, that is until she continues with her story. “As I was saying, he was the first person to woo me and win my heart after you. At first, it was wonderful, and then the verbal jibes and attacks started. I put it down to stress since, he hadn’t found a new job after losing his dream job after finishing college. It wasn’t all the time, and he always apologized for his outbursts, and I stupidly would accept it. Finally he found a job and things between us were perfect once again. The first time he hit me, we’d just gotten home from a friend’s birthday party. He accused me of flirting with my principal, who my friend was dating, and he slapped me. He immediately apologized and promised never to do it again. And he didn’t, for a while at least. The slaps gradually happened more and more often. Then one weekend about a year later,” she swallows deeply, “he caught up with his frat brothers and when he got home, I wouldn’t sleep with him. He was wasted and that was the first time he really hit me. I ended up in the ER with a broken rib, split lip, and a fractured cheekbone.” She wipes a stray tear away. “I told everyone I fell while hiking, everyone believed it due to my clumsiness. It gradually worsened after that night and he always made sure to hide the damage. He’d apologize and I foolishly fell for it each time. Two years after we started dating, I found out I was pregnant. I was scared to tell him, but it didn’t matter because I lost the baby. He came home one afternoon and found me in the bathro
om, blood everywhere. He was so caring and promised we’d try again. That we’d get our family and our happily ever after. He was the Avon I fell in love with again. Things between us were good, for a while after that. Just after I turned thirty, I got pregnant with Ollie. Avon was wonderful at first, but it was a rough pregnancy. I had morning sickness pretty bad so I wasn’t much good to anyone. One evening, after vomiting all day, he came home drunk as a skunk and lost his shit since I was still in bed. He viciously beat me that night. I was too sick and tired to defend myself. I didn’t move as he laid into me. He beat me again the next morning, just for the hell of it. I don’t remember doing anything to antagonize him but then again, I never knew what I did to deserve the beatings he gave me. That day, when he went out, I made my escape. If I hadn’t have been pregnant, I don’t know that I would have had the courage to leave.” She looks to me with tears in her eyes. “Ollie saved my life before he was even born.”
“Ohh, Autumn,” I sadly say, pressing a kiss to her temple, “this is all my fault.”
She shakes her head. “No, Griff, no. The person at fault here is him, and him alone. And to an extent, also me.”
“It is not your fault.”
“Yes, it is, Griff, I stayed. I could have left the first time he hit me but I chose to stay. To this day, I still don’t know why I did.” She looks at me sadly. “Griff, I’ve never told anyone this. Never. No one. You need to keep it between us.”
Nodding my head, I take her hand in mine. “My lips are sealed, Autumn. Thank you for confiding in me.” I take a deep breath. “Autumn, you are stronger than you give yourself credit for. You left when you needed to. No one can take that from you.” I pull her into my side and I press my lips to her temple. She rests her head on my chest. “Now, we will deal with him together and I promise I’ll never leave you again.”
“Forever and eternity,” she quietly whispers.
I smile at her words. “Forever and eternity.” As I stare down at her, all I can think is that if I hadn’t of left, she never would have moved or met him. Her beautiful body and soul wouldn’t have been tarnished by that monster. This is all my fault, and I will do everything in my power to protect her and Ollie from this monster; forever and eternity.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
AUTUMN
So much for our romantic dinner and night. After Avon’s visit, I didn’t feel like going anywhere. I changed into sweatpants and a tank while Griffin ducked out to grab Chinese and beer. We spent the night on the couch, watching Top Gun, drinking beer, and eating our weight in Chinese food…just like we used to. Even though it started off the way it did, it ended perfectly, wrapped in his arms in bed.
My sleep was plagued with horrible nightmares. Griffin didn’t bat an eyelid. He’d hug me to his chest and whisper sweet nothings to me. Calming me down after each nightmare. As the night wore on, they became more and more vivid. At one point I woke up screaming, I was sure Avon was standing in my doorway. Griffin flicked all the lights on and checked the house.
Mom drops Ollie off around nine. They walk in with coffee and I’m on the sofa in the living room in my robe, Mom knows something is up but she doesn’t let on in front of Ollie. “Ollie, darling, can you take your bag into your room, please?”
“Sure, Nana, I’ll just give Mom her coffee first.” He places it on the coffee table in front of me. “Here you go, Mom?”
“Thanks, baby, I’ll have it later. I don’t feel like coffee right now.”
He stops and stares at me. “Are you okay? You just said no to coffee.”
“I…I…Griffin just made me one, baby.”
“Okay,” he says, shrugging his shoulders and racing off to his room.
Mom immediately walks over to me. “What’s happened?”
“Mom…” I blubber, tears pour down my cheeks just as Griff walks in from the kitchen.
Mom goes into protective mode. “What have you done, Griffin Steel? Yesterday she was over the moon and today, she’s a mess. I swear to God, if you have hurt my baby again, I will kill you myself. I don't care who you are.”
“Mom,” I whisper-yell. She turns to face me. “It’s not Griffin’s fault. It's…it's Avon.”
Her eyes pop wide open. She doesn’t say anything. She sits on the sofa next to me and pulls me into her side. Wrapping her arms around me and hugging me in the way only a mom can. “Shhhh, baby, it will all be okay. I won’t let him hurt you, Ollie, or anyone.”
“Moooom,” Ollie shouts down the hallway.
“I’ll go,” Griffin says from his spot by the door. He knows I need my mom right now. “Coming, buddy,” he shouts to Ollie, as he walks past, he winks at me and heads toward Ollie’s room.
“Mom, he wants to see Ollie.” I start to shake my head viciously side to side, “I don’t want him anywhere near my son.” I lift my hands and cover my mouth. “Or me. I don’t want him near anyone I love, and I really don’t want him in the same fucking state as us. How is this happening? What am I going to do?”
“Autumn, we will figure this out.” She squeezes my hands to reassure me. “First things first, we need to find out why he’s out, and then we will make sure that the son of a bitch stays away from you both. I will not let him hurt my baby ever again. He’s messing with the wrong momma bear.”
“I love you, Mom.”
“Love you too, baby. Now, pack a bag, you and Ollie can stay with your father and me for a few days.”
“Or they can stay with me,” Griffin says from the hallway.
“No, Griffin, I can’t ask that of you.”
“You’re not asking. I’m offering.” He walks over to Mom and me and sits on the coffee table in front of us. “As I’ve said before, him being in your life is my fault.”
“Griffin Steel,” Mom scoffs, “that is the dumbest thing you have ever said. For a smart man, a doctor no less, that is just nonsense. The only person to blame here is that spineless pin-dicked weasel…and now the justice system for letting him out. I’m going to have a stern word with Jamie Sherwood about this.”
“Mom, why is Jamie in trouble?”
“Because, he said he’d take care of the legal things, and clearly he’s dropped the ball. It must be that girl, Jenny, leading him astray. He’s dropped the ball on this one and I will not stand for that, I don't care if he’s my nephew.”
“Mom, it’s not Jamie’s fault Avon was released.”
“Well, I need to blame someone.”
“Yeah, and that someone is the, how did you put it?”
Griffin interjects, “I believe Carla’s words were spineless weasel.”
“You forgot pin-dick,” Mom says, this causes me to smirk. “There’s the smile I love. Now, go pack a bag and head to Griffin’s. Your father and I will take Ollie, so you can find out what’s going on with the spineless pin-dicked weasel.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
“I’d do anything for you, Autumn. You are my baby girl and I will protect you until my last dying breath.”
“That goes for me too,” Griffin says, as he leans forward taking my hand in his and squeezing. “Why don’t I take you and Ollie out for ice cream.”
“It’s only nine,” I say, but on the inside I’m screaming, yeah, ice cream.
“I think you deserve a treat.” He winks at me. “I’ll go get Ollie.”
“No,” I say, standing up, “let me, but before we go, I’m going to tell him about Avon.”
“Are you sure?” Carla says, her voice laced with concern.
Nodding my head. “Yeah, I am. I need to tell him so he knows to be safe and vigilant when we aren’t around.”
Mom and Griffin nod but regardless of that they said, I was going to tell Ollie.
Walking down the hallway, my heart rate increases. I knew one day I’d have to tell Ollie about Avon, but I was hoping he’d be older. Of course I’ll gloss over certain parts, but he needs to know Avon is not a nice man and to not go anywhere with
him. Stepping into his room, I freeze and scream at the scene before me.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
GRIFFIN
I’m sitting in the living room with Carla, when from down the other end of the house we hear a guttural scream. Racing down the hallway, I step into Ollie’s room and see Autumn is on her knees, crying. The curtains are blowing in the breeze, the screen to Ollie’s window is laying broken his bed, and Ollie is gone.
“Where’s Ollie?” I ask.
Through tears, Autumn stammers, “Aaaaa….Avon took him.”
“What?” Carla questions from behind me.
“When I walked in he…he had Ollie under his arm. He glared at me and snickered before he turned and climbed out the window. I froze,” she cries. “I couldn’t move. I just stood here and watched as he took my little boy.” She takes a deep breath. “Oh My God!” she screams. “He took my son.”
Racing through Ollie’s room, I jump through the open window and into the backyard. Looking around, it’s empty. A car’s screeching tires from the road gets my attention. Jumping over the six-foot fence—thank you navy training—I race to the curb, but I’m too late, the street is empty and the car is nowhere in sight.
The front door flies open and Autumn comes racing out. “Where are they?” she pleads. “Ollie!” she screams. “Ollie, baby, answer Mommy. Please.” She’s spinning circles. She’s looking up and down the street. Screaming his name over and over. I have never seen her as frightened as she is right now.
Walking over to her, I reach out and touch her shoulder. She spins toward me, her face is as white as a ghost. Her breathing is ragged; if she doesn’t calm down she’s going to hyperventilate. Cupping her cheeks gently, I soothe, “Autumn, look at me.” She lifts her gaze. “I need you to breathe in and breathe out right now. If you keep going like this, you will collapse and then you’ll be no good to Ollie.” That catches her attention.
