He opened the door to the room a few minutes later with a plate of pancakes. "I hope you’re hungry!" He said cheerfully. Kaine charged him as hard as she could, smashing the plate against his chest. He stumbled back in surprise. "Hey!" He shouted as she sprinted past him. She heard his footsteps pounding after her as she ran frantically through the house, trying to find an exit. Her heart soared as she ran through the kitchen and saw the door. She yanked it open and felt the fresh air hit her face. The knob flew out of her grasp as the door slammed shut and Camden grabbed her from behind. "Let me go!" She screamed. He held her tightly as she kicked her legs, trying to get free. She sobbed as he dragged her back to the bedroom and kicked the door shut behind him. "I’m sorry," she gasped as he pushed her on the bed and climbed on top of her. "Please don’t. I’m sorry."
He grabbed her arm and turned her over roughly. "What are you sorry for?"
She was too scared to answer. The cold, hateful look in his eyes was terrifying.
"I asked you a question, Kaine," he said, running his hand down her stomach. "What are you sorry for?"
"For running," she choked out.
"Mm hmm," he said, lifting up her shirt. "What else?" He leaned down and kissed her stomach.
"For pushing you," she sobbed. "I’m sorry. I won’t do it again. Please."
He pulled her shirt back down. "Smart girl." He stood up and Kaine clutched at the covers.
"I meant what I said. I won’t touch you unless you want me to. But if you try anything like that again, I might not be so nice next time. Do you understand?"
She nodded, unable to look at him.
"Clean this shit up," he snapped as he slammed the door behind him. Kaine curled up into a ball and sobbed.
Jessica opened the door to the two policemen and immediately burst into tears. "Oh God. He killed her, didn’t he?"
The officer raised his eyebrows at her. "I think we need to talk. Can we come in?"
She nodded, sniffing. "Is she ok?"
"Is who ok?" The other officer asked.
"Kaine," she said. "That’s why you’re here, isn’t it?"
"It is," he agreed. "We’re not sure if she’s ok. She’s missing. And you might be able to help us. Tell us how you know Camden Lawson."
Jessica was silent for a minute. Finally, she sighed. "I met him at a bar about a month ago. I was drunk, and he was hot, and my husband is away on business all the time…anyway, I slept with him. I regretted it right away and thought I would never see him again, but he found me and showed me a bunch of pictures that he had of us having sex." She swallowed hard, feeling sick. "He threatened to show my husband the pictures unless I told Kaine that I slept with her husband and he got me pregnant. I felt awful about it, but...I couldn’t lose everything. So I did it. And I didn’t hear from him again. I thought it was over with until today, he showed up at my door and told me Kaine was on her way here. He waited in the hallway and listened to me the whole time. He told me to say that some guy named Bryce gave me money to say her husband got me pregnant. I didn’t want to. I almost told him no. But he looked...desperate. I was afraid to say no to him. So she came over and I told her what he wanted me to say."
"And then what?"
"He gave me the pictures and left."
"So when you meet him at the bar and went home with him, did he take you to his house?"
"Yeah, it was an apartment I think. But I was so drunk that I don’t really remember."
"Can you give us the general area?"
Jessica closed her eyes. "We were at Hoff’s, and it wasn’t more than a few minutes away. I think he lived on the first floor. I’m sorry I can’t be more help."
"That’s fine, Miss Lancaster. We’ll call you if we have any more questions."
She sniffed and nodded, putting her head in her hands. What had she done?
Kaine laid in bed, staring at the wall. She didn’t know how long it had been since Camden left, but it seemed like hours. It was hard to tell what time of day it was in the windowless room. She was terrified for him to come back.
The door clicked and she squeezed her eyes shut, pretending to be asleep. "Kaine?" Camden whispered, flicking on the light. She kept her breathing steady, hoping that he would go away. She heard him walk toward the bed and felt it shift under his weight. She felt his front press against her back and his arm wrap around her and struggled to keep her panic under control. "I know you’re awake," he whispered. She opened her eyes and rolled over to look at him. He looked at her with kind, gentle eyes. The way his mood changed so rapidly was unsettling. "Can we talk?" He asked softly, sitting up. She nodded nervously.
"How's Shane?"
"He's fine," she said cautiously. "He probably misses me and is upset right now, but he's been ok."
"What‘s wrong with his face, anyway?"
Kaine gave him a disgusted look. "What are you talking about? There's nothing wrong with his face."
Camden snorted. "Yes there is. His nose is all fucked up."
"His nose isn't 'all fucked up.' It's just a little crooked. I love his nose."
"Of course you do," Camden muttered. "How did it get that way? From fighting?"
"None of your business," she snapped.
"How many times do you have to break your nose before it looks like that? Do you love that about him too? That he's angry and violent?"
"You know what? I don't have to explain anything to you. You're going to believe what you want anyway so what's the point?"
"Forget it," he said, shaking his head. "Tell me about prom."
"What?"
"Prom. I’m assuming you went with Shane."
She nodded. "I did. Why do you want to know about prom?"
He shrugged. "I just want to know more about what you did after I left. Did you have fun?"
Kaine thought back to her prom night. She had taken a limo with Shane, Greg and Kelsey, and Lucy and her date, Brandon. She had an amazing time dancing with Shane, and they cut out early to have sex in Greg and Kelsey’s hotel room. "It was nice," she finally said. "We went with Greg and Kelsey and Lucy and Brandon Weaver. Remember him?"
Camden smiled. "Yeah. Nice guy. Not too smart if I remember though."
Kaine actually laughed. "No, he wasn’t. But he was nice enough. Anyway, it didn’t last. They were just friends who went to prom together. Lucy met her husband in college. She has a little boy now."
"What about Greg and Kelsey?" He asked, laying back. Kaine shrugged. "We kind of lost touch in college. Last I heard, they were still together. Did you have any serious relationships after you left?" She asked. He shook his head. "I dated a little, but no one I really liked."
"I'm sure you did fine," Kaine assured him. "You never had any trouble in high school."
He snorted. "Really? Because the only girl I wanted didn’t want me back."
Kaine looked away. She hadn’t meant to upset him. She just wanted to remind him that there were other girls out there besides her. "Cam, I didn’t..."
"Why, Kaine? Why did you choose him over me? He treated you like absolute shit, and you fucking married him and had a kid with him. How could you do that?"
She wanted to tell him that what she did was none of his business, but didn’t want to get him angry. "I can’t explain it," she finally said. "I fell in love with him. You can’t help who you fall in love with. It just happens. And he’s good to me, Cam. He loves me and Adam and he’d never do anything to hurt me. He feels awful about how he used to treat me."
Camden grabbed her hand. "I never treated you like that. I loved you before you lost weight. He didn’t give a shit about you until you were thin enough for him."
"That’s not..."
"What did he have that I didn’t have, Kaine? Why couldn’t you love me the way I loved you?"
She shook her head. "I’m sorry, Cam."
His jaw clenched in anger. "I don’t think you are."
Tears spilled down her cheeks. "What do you want me to say?"
He looked at her intently. "Tell me you love me."
She bit her lip. She knew she should tell him what he wanted to hear, but Shane’s face flashed through her mind, and she couldn’t bring herself to say it. "I can’t," she whispered. Camden nodded and got up, leaving the room without another word. Kaine waited for him to come back, but he didn’t. She quietly cried herself to sleep, praying for Shane to find her.
16
Kaine laid in bed, counting the swirls on the ceiling. She had no idea how long it had been since Camden left, but it felt like forever. The room had no TV or books, and she had never been so bored in her life. She looked for a camera, and although she couldn’t find one, she was almost sure she was being watched. She was starving. At least there was a sink in the small bathroom so she could drink. She hummed to herself as she rocked back and forth in bed. She gasped and shot up as the door opened and Camden walked in with a sandwich. "Hungry?" He asked. She nodded, unable to take her eyes off of the sandwich. He sat down next to her. "Tell me you love me."
She tore her eyes away from the sandwich. "Huh?"
"Tell me you love me, and you can have the sandwich. Then you can take a shower. Doesn’t that sound nice?"
It did sound nice. The sandwich was the best looking thing she had ever seen. It seemed like weeks since she had eaten. She looked up at his expectant face. All she had to do was say that she loved him. It didn’t matter that they both knew it wasn’t true. He just wanted her to say it. "I..." She trailed off. She didn’t want to give in. The idea of telling this monster that she loved him made her feel sick. Camden shrugged and he stood up. "I guess I’ll try again in a few days."
The idea of being in that room without food for even one more hour was unbearable. "Wait," she cried. "Don’t go."
He turned around and smirked at her. She wanted to slap the smug look off of his face and briefly considered it, but she wasn’t in any position to make him angrier than he already was. She cleared her throat. "I love you," she said flatly.
He sat back down next to her. "Say it like you mean it."
She let out a breath.
"Look into my eyes and say it, Kaine."
She looked into his eyes. "I love you, Camden," she said with as much emotion as she could muster. He smiled happily at her. "I love you too, Kaine Spencer." He handed her the sandwich as she fought back tears. She felt ashamed for giving in to him.
It doesn’t matter. You didn’t mean it. You know that. You did what you needed to do for Shane and Adam.
She took a small bite of the sandwich. It was the best thing she had ever tasted. "How long have I been in here?" She asked quietly.
"Three days," he said. She almost choked. It felt like weeks. "Eat slowly," he instructed. "Otherwise you’ll get sick."
He watched her as she ate. She ignored him and stared at the wall. "Better?" He asked as she finished the sandwich. She nodded, still not looking at him. "Ready for a shower?"
She nodded again and stood up, letting him take her hand. He led her out of the room and towards the bathroom. For a split second she considered running again, but quickly shot the idea down. She wouldn’t get away, and he would only punish her again.
Kaine turned around in the bathroom, staring at Camden expectantly. "Can I have some privacy?"
He smiled. "Sure, beautiful. I’ll be right outside when you’re done." He closed the door and Kaine turned on the water and quickly undressed. She stepped under the hot spray and let the water run over her. It felt glorious. She washed her hair and took her time washing her body. She stayed under the water until it turned too cold to stand. She didn’t care that Camden was outside waiting for her. She had waited for him for three days. She reluctantly turned off the water and wrapped herself in the towel that Camden had left for her. She opened the door to see him waiting for her. "Have you been here the whole time?" She asked. He nodded, looking at her lustfully. She pulled the towel tighter, wishing that it was longer. "Ready to go back?" He asked. She glanced down the hall. The thought of spending any more time alone in the small room was unbearable. "Do I have to?"
He shrugged. "That depends on you. What do you want to do?"
I want to beat the shit out of you and go home to my family, you fucking bastard.
"I want to sit outside. Just for a few minutes."
He smiled at her. "We can do that."
She couldn’t help but smile back at him. The thought of fresh air was exciting. "Really? Let me just throw some clothes on." She ran back to the bedroom before he had a chance to tell her something stupid like she had to be naked. She threw on a knee length blue dress and clean underwear. She left the room to find Camden standing at the front door. "I’m ready. Let’s go," she said, turning the knob and opening the door. He slammed the door shut and she looked up at him, surprised. "Not yet," he said. "We have to go over a few rules."
She waited for him to continue.
"You hold my hand and don’t let go. If you let go, we’re gonna have a problem."
She nodded nervously.
"Keep your mouth shut. Don’t even think about calling for help. If you scream, I’ll fuck you."
She gasped and backed away.
"Calm down," he said, rolling his eyes. "You don’t have to be scared if you don’t scream."
She bit her lip to keep from crying. She wasn’t planning on screaming or running, but hearing of how he would punish her if she did was chilling. The casual way he threatened to rape her immediately crushed her spirits.
"Ready?" He asked, holding out his hand. She didn’t want to go outside anymore. She wanted to go back in her small, boring room. At least it meant being away from him. Afraid to tell him that she had changed her mind, she reluctantly took his hand and let him lead her outside. She stopped short as she looked around at the woods surrounding the small cabin they were in. Nobody would hear her if she screamed anyway. They were in the middle of nowhere.
"Where are we?" She asked.
"Home," he replied.
"What about your mother?"
"Assisted living." He pulled her towards the middle of the yard. "Sit down." He sat behind her and pulled her against him.
"This is beautiful," she said. "Where is it?"
"I told you, we’re home," he said, nuzzling her hair.
Kaine was silent for a minute. "I’d like to meet your mother," she tried. Camden snorted. "What’s the point? She doesn’t know what’s going on. Plus, do you really think she’d want to meet the girl who ruined her life?"
"What? How did I..."
"Forcing us to move away, making my dad find a new job. You may not have pressed charges, but everyone at the firm knew what happened. I should have been able to finish my senior year, but you can’t go to school with someone who has a restraining order against you, right? And that was the thanks I got for watching over you and trying to protect you from that worthless loser that you married. My mom was depressed. If we hadn’t been forced to move away, my parents never would have never gotten in that accident. My father would still be alive."
Kaine tried to stand up, but he yanked her back down and wrapped his arms around her tightly. "I said don’t let go of my hand," he said quietly. Tears spilled down her face. "Are you kidding me?" She cried. "You’re blaming me for what happened? You think it’s my fault that you had to leave?" She knew she should keep her mouth shut, but she was furious. "Did you ever think what I went through? You tried to rape me. You hit me and ripped my clothes off. What would you have done if Shane hadn’t gotten there when he did? Tell me, Camden. Tell me what you would have done and where you’d be right now."
He glared at her. "I seem to recall you liked it when Shane ripped your clothes off. How was that any different than what he did?"
Her mouth dropped open. "How was it different? Are you kidding me?" She cried.
He stood up, pulling her with him. He dragged her back inside and slammed the door. "I told you not to scream."
"I wasn’t screaming," she protested.
He pressed her against the wall. "I think you were."
She shook her head. "I’m sorry," she whimpered.
"Sorry only goes so far," he said softly. "I told you I was sorry for what happened and you clearly haven’t forgiven me. Tell me why I should forgive you."
"I forgive you," she sobbed. "I swear I do. I’m sorry for what I did to your family."
He grabbed her face and stared at her with hard eyes.
"I love you," she whispered. She breathed a sigh of relief when his eyes softened and he let go of her face. "I love you too," he said. "I’m sorry I grabbed you. I don’t want to hurt you, Kaine."
She stared into his clear blue eyes, wondering what she ever saw in him. He was good looking on the outside, but his eyes were cold and soulless. She took a deep breath, hating herself for what she was about to do. "It was like that with Shane," she said softly. "I don’t want it to be like that with us. I don’t want to be scared of you like I was with him."
His eyes widened. "I don’t want you to be scared of me either. I’m not like him, Kaine. I can give you so much more and make you so happy."
She wrapped her arms around him and he froze for a second before hugging her back. She glanced around the kitchen and her heart skipped a beat when she saw the knife block on the counter. She pulled away. "I have a surprise for you."
He looked at her skeptically. She smiled seductively and took a few steps toward the counter then spun back around. She slowly reached under her dress and pulled her panties off, dropping them on the floor.
"What are you doing?" He asked.
"Come here," she softly said. He took a few tentative steps toward her. "What are you doing, Kaine?" He repeated.
Make Me (Bully Me Book 2) Page 10
