Fantasy Attraction (Hidden Secrets)

by Belden, P. J.

  “That was amazing, doll face.” He panted.

  “Yes, it was.” I smiled.

  We made a little small talk as each of us corrected ourselves. It carried on. I had to keep going to him or my information cover story would be blown. At least he was great in the sack or out of it as the case may be. We had sex pretty much anywhere we could and often. His sexual appetite seemed to be just as demanding as mine.

  Once I’m done with Carson maybe I’ll swing to him. He’s got potential. If this whore would stay out of my business things would be fine. They crossed paths a second time. Thanks to the tracker I put on his truck at the gym, I followed him back to the bar. He was just sitting in his truck. I didn’t know what was going on. Then I saw her come into view and before I could prevent it, he saw her. He ran to her. Damn it!

  Tonight that little bitch got what she deserved. Watching them two nights in a row, making out on the porch and then to stay the night on the first night. How much more of a whore could she be? I wanted to do so much more, but it was only meant to be her warning. After hitting her with the bat a few times, I felt better. There was something therapeutic about beating someone. She didn’t even get a chance to fight back, which was good because I had to be convincing to him when I said I had no clue what she was talking about.

  Imagine my surprise when I see her coming out of her house. She walked to the blasted bar on the phone, then jumped in a cab. I had a feeling where she was headed so I just headed there myself. Sure enough the fucking cab pulls up and there Strappy Von Slut Pants climbs out of the cab and stares at the gate before her. What I didn’t expect was a two second phone call and the gate to open.

  My plan was to wait until she had her back turned and sneak inside. That was my plan until she made sure the door was shut before she walked toward the house. She looked really roughed up and I laughed with the joy I felt for being the one to have done that to her.

  This little bitch was in way over her head. I am a woman of many skills and even more connections. She was warned. She didn’t listen. Her path and fate have been chosen.

  This little bitch is going to die, the sooner the better.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  ~CARSON~

  When Colleen flew into my arms, I knew something was wrong. She is not the clingy, needy type. What I didn’t realize until moments later was how wrong things were. It wasn’t until I pulled her head back to look at her and ask what was wrong that I saw her face.

  “JESUS! What happened?”

  “My home… destroyed… attacked…” she said between sobs.

  I scooped her up in my arms and carried her to my car. Something told me not to take my truck right now and it also told me to go out the secret drive as well. Call it instincts if you will. When I started the car she panicked.

  “Please, no hospital.” She pleaded.

  “Angel, you need to be seen.”

  “Please Carson please…” She begged.

  I sat there a moment, unsure of what I should do. She needed to be looked at, but without her wanting to go to the hospital, I had to figure out another way to get her checked. A thought hit me. Pushing the hands free button on my steering wheel, I made my lifeline call.

  “Jack, are you busy?”

  “No, what’s up?”

  “Listen, I need your help. I know it’s a bit of a drive for you, but my girlfriend’s been attacked tonight and she really needs to be seen, but has begged me not to take her to the hospital. Will you please check her out? Please. I’ll be forever in your debt.” I begged.

  “Wow! Yeah, I’ll be there in about an hour.”

  “Meet at Kay’s. I’ll explain later.”

  Hanging up with Jack, I dialed Kayla. The minute she answered, I had a feeling I was either interrupting something or woke them up. Shaking my head, I got back to the task at hand.

  “Kay, I’m on my way to your house. Jack is on his way there too. Colleen was attacked tonight. I’ll explain it all when I get there. Please be watching for us.”

  “Yes, Curry. We’ll be ready.”

  I tossed my ear piece down on the dash and focused on my driving. Her head kept lolling to one side and it worried me. In all my years in my career, I knew a thing or two about concussions. She needed to stay awake.

  “Angel?”

  “Hmm…”

  “Can you tell me what happened?”

  She started telling me about what had happened and her speech started to slur. I pushed down harder on the gas. Who would have thought that I would ever be in this position? Playing the worrying, protective boyfriend role, I definitely hadn’t seen that happening for a little while yet. Nevertheless, here I am flying through the streets to get to my sister’s.

  “Colleen?”

  She didn’t respond. I said her name again, but she didn’t respond. I was right down the road from my sister’s. I flashed my lights at their security camera and by the time I approached the gate, it was opened. I flew up the drive before stopping in front of their door. Just as I was opening Colleen’s door, Kayla and Jason came running out.

  “Colleen? Angel? Talk to me, baby.” I pleaded as I lifted her from the car.

  “Oh God!” Kayla gasped when she saw Colleen’s head.

  Moving past them, I took Colleen inside. Once I stood in the living area, I looked back at them, silently asking where to take her.

  “Follow me upstairs. She can have one of our guest rooms.”

  Laying her down, I ran into the on suite and grabbed a rag wetting it. Kicking off my shoes, I climbed on the bed next to her gently trying to wipe the blood from her hair and face. Pressing a kiss to her forehead after every swipe, I tried to keep my raging emotions in check. How could this day have ended this way?

  I was over the moon happy today. Finally, I had my Angel. Every kiss, every touch from her today, I felt more than in my body… I felt it in my soul. This was more than a sexual feeling and I knew it, but I also knew that something has happened to Colleen that makes trusting and believing people harder. When she believes me, I might tell her then. For now, I will just show her as often as I can.

  “Come on, Angel, you need to wake up for me. Please. I just found you… I can’t lose you already.”

  Wipe after wipe, kiss after kiss, I kept trying to get her face cleaned off as best as I could. The damage was there and the more I uncovered, the more worried I became. What the hell happened to her?

  “I’m here, bro. Sorry it took so long. There was an accident on the freeway.” Jack said as he threw his bag down on the floor by the bed removing his jacket and rolling up his sleeves.

  “I can’t get her to wake up man. She’s not responding. I tried to clean her up…”

  “I’m going to do what I can, Carson. Trust me.”

  I nodded my head, but the pain in my chest was hard to deny. “Jack…”

  “You have got to trust me, brother. I will take care of your girl. Do you know what happened?”

  “No, just that she was attacked in her home.” I said through gritted teeth.

  Jack nodded and pulled out a bunch of things and started checking her eyes and looked up her nose.

  “C, I need you to leave. Wait outside the door if you must, but I don’t want you in here for this.”

  “You’ve got to be…”

  “Carson out now! Call this number and tell the guy that will no doubt be pissed for you calling. Tell him to get here, now. Tell Jason to watch out for him and make sure he gets up here as fast as possible. Now Carson!”

  “I’m not leaving her!” I yelled.

  Jack walked around the bed and grabbed me by my shirt yanking me from the bed. He threw me into the wall next to the door, holding me there by my throat. Opening the door, he threw me across the hall into the wall. He looked at Kayla and Jason, who were standing there shocked.

  “Make sure he stays out of here. Call this number like I told you to do.”

  “You asshole, I said…”

  “I get it
! You want to be with her, for her. If you don’t do what I asked, she’s going to fucking die then where will you be? I don’t want you to see all the things we are going to have to do. You don’t need to see that.” He sighed and said softer. “You don’t need to see it. You have to trust me. I will do everything I can. Hurry and call that number.” With that, Jack turned and slammed the door.

  Pulling out the number, I dialed and explained everything to the guy I just called. Once I hung up, I sank to the floor. Looking up at my sister, I felt helpless.

  “She’s going to die? I can’t lose her, Kay. I just found her. I’ve barely spent time with her. There is no way that I could lose her before I have said that I love her or hear her say those same words. Right?”

  Kayla kneeled down next to me, wrapping her arms around me. I lay there while she tried to calm me down. Meanwhile, I stared at the door in front of me. On the other side of that door was my Angel. My single source of my happiness lay on that bed in there. From the first moment I talked to her, something had clicked inside me. The more we talked the more I realized that it wasn’t just something that clicked, it was us that clicked. We were two puzzle pieces that fit together.

  “She’s broken Carson. She’s had a very bad upbringing. I only know bits and pieces, but what I do know breaks my heart. She needs you to be strong. Be strong for her Carson.” Kayla said after a bit.

  I nodded my head. A guy came running up the stairs carrying a bunch of stuff and Jason followed him carrying stuff too. Kayla opened the door and let the guys in there. My eyes fell to the bed where Colleen lay. Her feet were now bare. Jack was working quickly next to her. The friend of Jack’s sets everything at the end of the bed and moved to the opposite side calling out a bunch of shit that I couldn’t understand. Jason exited and shut the door and once again, my view to my girl was cut off.

  “I need to hit something, to move, to do something.” I said, jumping up and pacing back and forth.

  “Go use the gym. We will get you right away if there is anything.”

  I nodded my head and went to try and work off this helplessness I felt at the moment. This was new for me. I have never had someone matter so much to me outside of my family. Now I was counting on my family to give her back to me. My brother was a great doctor, but he was a plastic surgeon and I worry that he might be out of his area on this. When I first called him I thought she just needed stitched up and she’d be good to go. Jack, being a plastic surgeon, could make sure they didn’t scar and leave her with any kind of reminder of whatever the hell happened to her tonight.

  Jumping off the treadmill, I moved to the punching bag. Running wasn’t clearing my head; hopefully punching it out will help. One punch after another and all I was accomplishing was breaking a sweat. Something had to give. I needed something to hold on to for hope. No, what I needed was Colleen.

  “Damn it!” I yelled as I hit the punching bag with so much force it popped off the hook.

  “Jason may be being nice and allowing you to use his gym, but I doubt he wants you breaking it.”

  Turning around, I saw my brother Colt standing there. Colt and I did the most together. Even with the four year age gap, we had the most in common. Seeing Colt here was a shocker. He was usually either training for football, playing football, or sleeping with someone that loves football or at least him.

  “Why are you here?” I panted.

  “Kay called. She said she was worried about you. She explained what was going on. I came right over.”

  “You were in town?” I asked confused.

  “No, I was at home. CJ you’ve been down here for about three hours.”

  “What?”

  That completely shocked me. I rushed past Colt and ran up the stairs to find out what is going on. Imagine my shock when I find that my brothers Jeff and Nick are standing there talking to Kayla and Jason.

  “What the hell is this?”

  “I’m sorry Curry. I was worried about you.” Kayla apologized.

  “I’m fine. Colleen is who’s in trouble here.” I bit out.

  I pounded on the door. “Jackson, I want answers!”

  The other guy opened the door and glared at me. “You’ll get them when we have them to give to you,” then slammed the door in my face.

  I went to punch the wall when a booming voice that stopped me so many times in my tracks growing up filled the hallway.

  “Carson James Williams do not even think about it. This is not your house!”

  “What the fuck! Is this some kind of family fucking reunion? Jesus! Why are you all here!”

  “We came here to support you son. To be here for you. I know you’re hurting son, but don’t take it out on the ones that are here for you.”

  “Dad, I can’t…”

  My dad wrapped his arms around me and comforted me. The person I wanted to see right now was not any of my family members, but my girl. The one on the other side of the door. We waited for what seemed like an eternity before the door finally opened and my brother walked out with the other guy following behind him. I walk up to my brother and we share a look.

  “She’s going to be okay. I’m sorry for kicking you out, but you didn’t need to be in there for that. You can go sit with her now if you want. Just try not to move her too much.”

  “What…” I clear my throat, trying to keep my emotions in check. “What was wrong?”

  “She wasn’t only hit in the head CJ. She was hit in the stomach as well. That was what concerned me most; which is the reason I had my friend, Calvin Matthews, come help because he is specialized in that area. With his equipment, we located the bleed and stopped it. I don’t think this was her first time being attacked. The damage in there…” Jack shook his head. “You can be with her now. Right now is a waiting game. The next forty-eight hours are critical.”

  Hugging my brother and shaking Calvin’s hand, I walked into the room, the only room that I cared to be in. Approaching the bed slowly, I took in her pale skin. She looked lifeless. Not my happy go lucky girl that I held and kissed only hours ago.

  Gently, I lowered myself on the bed and moved closer to her. I ran my hand softly through her hair. In all my years of playing the field, who would have thought Carson Williams would be brought to his knees by a girl. She wasn’t just any girl, now was she?

  A memory of my sister Mylee popped into my head. She had always had the ability to find a song for everything. Any moment in time and she could find a song for it. That was when the song she told me I’d understand when I met the girl I was meant to be with came to mind. I’m not a girlie music kind of guy, but this song stuck with me over the years. Before I realized what I was doing, I was cuddling my girl singing “Who Needs The World” by Nick Carter.

  I had a feeling this next forty-eight hours were going to be the longest in my life…

  ** ** ** ** **

  Longest forty-eight hours came nowhere close to the twenty-four more that followed it. It was reassuring that she had made it through the forty-eight hours. Jack kept trying to reassure me, but reassurance wasn’t what I needed. What I needed was Colleen. The conversation I had with Jason comes back to me.

  “I know that look.” Jason said as he walked into the room.

  “What look?” I asked, not looking away from Colleen.

  “You’re in love. It’s the same look I had when I realized how much I loved your sister. When I stopped fighting the fact that I loved her and embraced the fact that I did.”

  “This is crazy. The main part of us being together was talking on the phone. How could I…”

  “Carson, one thing I have learned is that we all have one person we are meant to be with. When we find that person all it takes is a look, a laugh, a smile…whatever it may be. Then, as much as we reason with ourselves other ways, for why we feel this way. In the end, something happens and we are forced to see it for what it is. Mine happened when I was shot. Yours…”

  “I can’t tell her.”

  “I kn
ow. Just remember though, the longer you keep it to yourself, the more opportunities you miss hearing them in return. Don’t tell her now. It would be forever clouded with this, but you do need to say it man.” He said before he left.

  That man was head over heels for my sister. He was wise. I do love Colleen. It was obvious to me in my constantly wanting to talk to her and then needing her to hear me out.

  “Angel, I need you to wake up for me. I miss you.”

  Lying back down next to her I began to sing “Who Needs The World” by Nick Carter again. It really did fit how I felt about her. Completely exhausted, I started dosing off.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  ~COLLEEN~

  My head was pounding. Sounds started filtering in through the pounding. Someone was singing…and well. I tried to get lost in the lyrics, but my head hurts too much. The last thing I remember was running into Carson’s arms after being attacked.

  “Carson…”

  The singing continued, but seemed to trail off at some points or my head was pounding that hard. The tone in his voice, the warmth I felt, I knew Carson was the one singing. Singing was definitely in their blood.

  “Mary’s not the only one that can sing.” I breathed.

  The bed jerked and I groaned in pain. An apology came almost immediately and I felt his hand run on my face. A tender kiss followed the tender, touching. I had to fight to get my eyes to open. When I did I was greeted with the face that I knew was there.

  “Carson…”

  “Hey Angel. I’ve missed you. You’re not allowed to scare me like that again. Deal?”

  I started to nod my head, but stopped when the pain worsened. “Oh, I feel like shit.”

  “You should, you were hurt badly. Why didn’t you call me?”

  “I couldn’t exactly use the phone when I was being beaten in the head with a bat, now could I?”

  “Can you tell me what happened?” He asked sadly.

  “I got in, turned the lights on and watched you pull off, turned around only to be hit in the head with a bat then again and then in my stomach.”