by JB Duvane
"What? Is Avery there?"
"Yeah, and she's pretty much figured out what this conversation is about."
"Is she pissed? Tell her I just want your moral support, that's it. And tell her I said hi."
"Landen say's hi."
"Hey, Landen!" Avery yelled at the phone.
"I don't know. I'll see what she says."
"Ok, so you wanna give me a call back?"
"How about if I just text you."
"Sure, that's fine. So, are you gonna come through the tunnels like old times?" he asked with a slight chuckle.
"I doubt it ... I'll probably just drive."
"Suit yourself. So, it sounds like your interested? I'd really appreciate it, man."
"Just keep your pants on. I'll let you know, and if it's yes I'll be over in about an hour."
"Sounds good! Later."
I hung up the phone and looked over at Avery. I knew I didn't want to bring any of that part of my past back into this house ... our house ... but I couldn't deny that I was interested to see how it would feel to be around that sort of thing after all these months. But there was no way I could even consider doing anything without talking to Avery. She was everything to me now and there was absolutely nothing in the world that was worth throwing what I had with her away.
"What's the matter? Is everything ok?"
"Yeah, Landon wants me to come over for a little while tonight."
"It sounded like he wanted you to help him with something? What's going on?"
"Well, he found someone in his tunnel and he ... well he ..."
"You don't have to say it, I know," she said as she looked down at the pillow. "Do you want to?"
"He said he just wants me there for moral support. Apparently he hasn't done anything in a while and he feels like he just wants me there. And yeah, I do. I really want to be there for him. He's done so much for me and been there for me throughout most of my life." Ok, that wasn't the entire truth, but I couldn't bring myself to tell her that I was actually intrigued by watching the whole thing. I was going to have to work on that, but I felt like I was being pretty damned honest.
"Does that make me a horrible person?"
"Well, I can't answer that for you, Colin. You're the only one that knows the answer to that question."
"Yeah, I guess that's probably true. But what I really want to know is ... will you still be here when I get back ... if I go over there tonight?"
Avery snuggled up next to me under the covers and wrapped her hand around my waist.
"Of course I'll be here. I'm not the police and I'm not your mother. I'm not here to tell you what to do or judge you or make you do what I think is right. I want you to do what you believe is right, not because you think it's what I want, or because you think you'll lose me if you do something I wouldn't approve of. Because if that were the case we'd just wind up resenting each other."
"Yeah, I guess I'm just trying to take the easy way out," I said as I smiled faintly at her. It really did seem like it would be so much easier if she would just tell me what to do so I didn't have to make the decision for myself, but I knew that wasn't fair to her at all.
"Look, I trust you, Colin. I trust that you will tell me what's going on. So, if you want to go and see what it's like over at Landen's house tonight, go ahead. It may help you figure some stuff out.
You told me once that talking to me about your past was one of the hardest things you had ever done, and that you thought that sort of thing seemed easy for me. Well, it's not. I'm not saying that what we've been through and what we are working toward is too hard or anything, but there are no easy or right answers for either of us.
We both just have to go little by little and day by day and figure out what feels best. And I think the closer you get to forgiving yourself the clearer your choices will probably become."
"I don't know about that," I said as I looked at her, but I knew she was right. I still didn't understand how I was supposed to forgive myself though, especially since I was still working on forgiving my father. I wrapped my arms around her and just felt her warm breath on my neck. I couldn't understand how it was that someone so much smaller than me, someone who felt so helpless and delicate in my arms, could make me feel so safe, but I knew between the two of us she was by far the stronger one.
"I don't want to ever do anything that would make you want to leave me, Avery. If you don't want me to go I won't go. I would die if I ever did anything again that hurt you, you know that, don't you?"
"I know. I won't leave, Colin," she said as she looked up at me, her eyes glistening with tears and the most beautifully sad look I'd ever seen. "I understand that you have to do this. I really do."
I grabbed her head with both hands and moved my lips across her face and onto hers and as I did I felt the world stop around us and I wished that we could stay like this forever, wrapped in each others arms and floating in nothingness, but a nothingness where I let myself feel everything. Everything that we were together, everything that I wanted to be, everything that she meant to me, and everything that she was letting me be even though it's not what she wanted at all.
One of the things I was starting to realize, one of the things that Avery had taught me, was that it was possible to love someone without loving every single thing about them. Even when some of those things seemed unforgivable.
The End
Bonus Chapters from His to Take (She’s Mine Book 1)
ABOUT HIS TO TAKE:
Brooklyn …
Adrian was my first love.
The boy I’d always compared all the others to.
But now he’s a man and he’s holding me captive.
I’d heard the stories for years but I didn’t believe them.
My Adrian couldn’t have done the things they say he did to all the other girls.
But now that I’m with him I see that it’s true.
I know he’s a monster … and I’m terrified of him.
But I’m also terrified of the feelings I still have for him … and what those feelings mean about me.
Adrian …
Brooklyn was the only one who ever saw my true self.
But that was seven years ago … and it might as well have been a dream.
I had to leave her behind. It was the only way I could protect her from the truth about my family and our business.
But now a debt must be paid and she’s been brought here.
And my father has ordered me to break her … to ruin her.
If I follow his orders it will destroy me.
But if I don’t … my father will.
His to Take is the first part in a dark romance series. It includes dark situations that may not be suitable for everyone.
* * *
HIS TO TAKE
Chapter 1
Brooklyn
"Oh my God, Brooklyn, this is so amazing! When did you find out?"
"About ten minutes ago, just before I tweeted it. I just got the email that the internship was finalized. I still can't believe it, Sophie," I said in a hushed voice.
"Why are you talking so low? Where are you?"
"I'm at the library."
"Oh, they don't give a shit about that stuff anymore, do they? There's always people talking on their phones in the library especially at Fogelman. Every time I'm in there I forget I'm not in the cafeteria. Even the librarians talk loud there."
"I'm not at Fogelman," I said in almost a whisper.
"I can barely hear you now. Where are you? At Kellen or something?"
"No, I'm not at Kellen, I'm at the NYU library and I have to be quiet, Sophie. I don't want to get kicked out of here again."
"Oh, yeah I forgot about that," she laughed. "But you have an excuse now, we have to celebrate! We have to go out tonight, Brooklyn!"
"Okay, Okay, calm down. We're totally going out. I just gotta get a few more things done here and I'll be back in my room. Then we can make all kinds of plans."
"So wha
t are you going to do? What's the plan? You still have eight weeks of class left right?"
"Yeah, but I'll be starting the internship before I graduate. They need someone to start right away so it's probably going to be in the next couple weeks. I'm so excited, Sophie. I mean, you know how much I've wanted this. It's exactly what I'd been hoping for. I'll be able to work on my fashion reporting skills and maybe even publish something soon.
Harper Randyll has columns in all the major fashion publications and on just about every site worth mentioning so I'm sure it won't be long before they let me write for them. But I'll also be able to learn from the best fashion designers in Manhattan. Some of the most innovative designs have come out of Randyll Fashions.
Plus they have offices all over the world. Maybe after a couple years, I'll even be able to study under some of their designers and Milan. I'm so excited, Sophie, I can hardly stand it."
"I'm so happy for you, Brooklyn. You deserve this. You've worked so hard, harder than anyone I know. And over the last few years, even with your mom dying and your dad turning into a total schmuck, you really kept it together. I'm so proud of you. You just have to promise to remember me when you become a famous designer. And let me wear some of your designs."
"Oh, Sophie, you're so sweet. You'll be right there with me. Whatever I wind up doing I'll make sure you're part of it. I'll need an art designer, won't I? I'm just lucky to have such a good friend. Someone who cares so much. I wish I could say the same about my dad. I feel like no matter what I do I'm just an inconvenience or an embarrassment to him. I stopped telling him about wanting to be a designer years ago. He thinks it's all a joke."
"Hey, don't let him bring you down. This is your night. There's no point in letting him ruin it."
"Yeah, you're right, Sophie. I won't let him ... woah ... what the hell? My dad is on the other line."
"You're kidding. Right now? That's so weird that we were just talking about him. What do you think he wants?"
"I have no idea. He never calls me. Hold on, I'll see what he wants and I'll be right back."
"Okay, I'll wait."
"Dad? What's up?"
"Brooklyn, where are you?"
"What? I'm at the library, why?"
"Which library? The one on 14th?"
"No, I'm down across from Washington Square Park at the NYU library. What do you want?"
"When are you leaving?"
"I don't know, about twenty minutes. Why? What's going on?"
"Brooklyn, just be outside the library in twenty minutes, like you said, okay? Can you just do that for me?"
"Yeah, sure. Are we getting lunch or something?"
"No ... not lunch ... just be outside, Brooklyn. I'll talk to you later."
I ended the call with my dad and switched back over to Sophie.
"Well, that was weird."
"What? What did he want?"
"I don't know. He just wanted to know when I was leaving the library. Then he said to wait outside for him. I asked him if we were having lunch or something and he said no. I don't know what is up with him."
"Wow, that's weird. Maybe he wants to tell you about your new mommy," she said in a little girl voice.
"Oh God, don't even joke about that. Most of the girls he's been dating lately are my age. It makes my skin crawl every time I walk into the den at home and see him sitting on the couch in front of the fire with one of them. It makes me wonder what he was thinking about all my friends that I brought home when I was still living there. Was he just drooling all over them?"
"Probably, and then jerking off in the bathroom."
"Ew, Sophie, no! Don't even say that!"
"So, do you think he does one of those online things were he finds a girl and makes an arrangement, then pays them to go on dates? Like a sugar daddy situation?"
"I have no idea and I don't even want to know. The thought of him doing anything with anyone just grosses me out. I don't want to see him at all. I don't understand why he's showing up today of all days."
"Well, don't let it get you down. Just see him and let everything slide off your back. And keep thinking about how much fun we're going to have tonight."
"Okay, thanks, Soph. I'll see you later."
"Okay, later!"
I made a few more posts online about my internship and responded to some of my followers who were excited for me, then packed everything up and headed out the front entrance.
As I walked past the giant columns just outside the entryway, I noticed a black limousine parked on the street right in front of the library which I found odd because no cars were ever parked out there. Two men got out of the limo and walked toward me as I started to cross the street to the park and one of them grabbed my arm.
"Brooklyn Pierce, please get into the car."
I tried to jerk my arm away but as I did a hulking man with a thick neck and pants that were way too tight gripped my arm like a vice and pulled me toward the limo.
"Ouch! What the fuck? What the hell do you think you're doing?"
"Haven't you talked to your father? You're supposed to come with us," the giant man said with an impatient tone. Just then my phone rang and I looked up at the thug in the tight pants.
"Do you mind if I get my phone out of my bag?" I asked as I motioned to his hand that was about to pop the skin on my upper arm. He let go of my arm and I pulled my phone out of my purse. It was my dad again.
"Dad? What's going on? Some guys are trying to get me to go with them in a limo. Where are you?"
"I'm not coming Brooklyn. I'm ... you have to go with them. You have to go with them and do whatever they say."
I stood there listening for a few seconds, expecting him to say something that made sense, something that would explain why I had to get into a car with two strange men that looked like they wanted to kill me.
"You're joking, right? Is this a joke? I'm not going anywhere with these guys."
"Brooklyn ... you have to. I don't ... you don't have a choice. Listen to me Brooklyn. If you don't go with them I will be killed. Everyone in our family will be killed. Everyone."
"What are you talking about?" I asked as I turned away from the two giant men and tried to understand what my father was telling me. "Who would ... why would people want to kill us?"
"Brooklyn, if you go with them no one has to die. But if you don't ... oh God, Lena ... your aunt Lena and your uncle Bill and your cousins in Montauk and, oh God their little girl. You don't want little Marnie to die, do you?"
"What kind of monsters would kill a four-year-old little girl, dad?" I asked as I turned back around toward the men, who were now talking to some cops that were parked behind the limo. I was relieved for a second. I thought those horrible men would be taken away by the cops, or at the very least the limo would be towed, but the cops were talking to the two men like they were all friends.
"Dad, who are these men? I don't like the way they're treating me. Please don't make me go with them."
"Brooklyn, please don't be stubborn ..."
"I'm not being stubborn! How can you say that? I'm terrified! These men look like they want to kill me! Or worse!"
"They aren't going to kill you, Brooklyn, I promise. They're just going to take you somewhere for a while and then you can come back home."
"Take me where? For how long? And why would you let them do this? Are you in some kind of trouble, Dad?"
I looked back at the men and the cops they had been talking to were now getting back into their car and driving away. The men walked back toward me and looked like they were going to grab my arms so I backed up a few steps.
"I'm still talking to my dad, do you mind?" I said as I held my phone up to the thick-necked thug.
"Please don't talk to them like that, Brooklyn. You're only going to make it worse."
"Make what worse? What have you done?"
"Everything I've done has been for you, Brooklyn. I ... I borrowed money so you could go to school and live in The Village with yo
ur friends and have the kind of life you wanted. I did this for you."
"Don't make me laugh, Dad. You make it sound like I'm the bad guy here. Like I'm the only one that spent any money. I don't think your lifestyle is so cheap, what with all the young girls you pay to ... keep you company."
There was a long silence on the other end of the line and finally my father cleared his throat and started talking again.
"Brooklyn, these people mean business. They are very clear about their terms and they always get what they want. Please believe me when I tell you that you simply don't have a choice and that it will be much easier on you if you just do what they say."
"How could you do this to all of us? How could you make an arrangement with these people when you knew what the consequences would be? Don't you care about anyone but yourself?" I asked as tears started to roll down my face.
The man in the tight pants was now leaning up against the limo, staring at me. I turned back around and tried one more time to try to get my father to explain why this was happening to me.
"But you have a job, don't you? You have the swimsuit business that you and mom started ..."
"You know your mother was the one with the head for business, Brooklyn. And since she died nothing's been the same. I couldn't manage the business like she did. I thought I could make it work. I really did. You have to believe me. I tried, Brooklyn."
"So that's it? Now I just go with some strangers because you can't pay your debts? I can't believe you're doing this to me! I can't believe you're letting these men take me away! Dad? Are you there?"
But there was no answer on the other end. He had hung up. I stood there on the street sobbing and staring at my phone as the two giant men walked toward me again.
"I'd advise you to stop making a scene. It's not going to do you any good," one of the men said into my ear as they each took an arm and walked me over to the limo. The door opened in front of me and I got in the back like I was told. I was in complete shock. I couldn't believe that my father had just given me away to some strange men. He didn't even seem to know where I was going. He didn't even seem to care.
