Flaming Hearts (Beyond Reality Book 2)

by Stoker, Susan

  “I wanted to talk to you all if you’d let me,” Becky told them with only a hint of emotion making her voice crack. “I want to explain what I was thinking and why I didn’t immediately come to you.”

  “Oh, honey,” Bethany said immediately. “We understand.”

  “No,” Becky said quickly. “You don’t, but I’m hoping you will after I’m done.”

  Understanding this was apparently important to her, they all sat down around the couch to hear what she had to say.

  “After I left the hotel I didn’t know what to do. All sorts of thoughts were racing through my head. I thought I could just leave and pretend that nothing had happened. As time went on I started to hurt more and more. Everything hurt.”

  She could feel Dean tense beside her, but she tried to ignore it and continue.

  “I got mad, at myself and at Derek and David. Who were they to do this to me and get away with it? If they’d done it to me, how many others would they do it to as well? Would they succeed in actually raping someone else? Had they done it in the past? I knew I had to stop them. But I was also mad at myself. I’m usually not so pathetic. I should’ve come to you guys right away. I know you would’ve helped me and not made me feel bad. I did know it. But I was embarrassed. I’m still embarrassed that you know what happened. I didn’t want you guys to look at me with guilt or pity.”

  She took a deep breath. This next part was hard.

  “I’m afraid you’ll look at me differently now. Not just because of what my face looks like or because you know what happened to me, but because I let you all down. For all my talk about getting that little coyote to trust, at the first sign of trouble, I didn’t trust you. I really am sorry I didn’t contact you right away, Steve. I mean, I know I should have, but I was a coward.”

  Steve got up from his seat and came toward the vulnerable young woman sitting next to his son. He put his finger up to her lips gently to keep her from saying anything until he said his peace.

  “You could never be a coward, Becky. You just needed some time to process what happened to you. In the end you did contact me. You called me to help you and we came. What I feel for you, what we all feel for you, isn’t pity. We’re sorry this happened. We’re so sorry you’re hurt and you had to go through that awful experience. We’re pissed for you. We’re pissed at those men. But there’s no pity. The only thing we feel when we look at you is joy that you’re here with us, with Dean, and that you’ll be okay.”

  Becky sniffed and nodded. She leaned toward Steve hesitantly and put her one good arm around his neck. “Thank you, Steve. Thank you.”

  Steve hugged his son’s woman gently, knowing she was still in pain. “I hope at some point you’ll feel comfortable enough to call me Dad.”

  Becky leaned back to feel Dean’s hand against her lower back. “I’d be honored…Dad,” she said softly and grinned lopsidedly at him.

  Becky turned when Dean said, “I’m just so sorry I wasn’t there to protect you, sweetheart. That this had to happen to you…”

  Becky shook her head. “It’s not your fault, Dean. It would’ve happened if you’d been in town or not.”

  Dean shook his head, knowing that wasn’t true. “We’re going to have to disagree on that one, sweetheart. If I was in town, the second you left that damn show I would’ve picked up you and brought you home.”

  “But the contract…” Becky started to say.

  “The hell with the contract. I would’ve brought you to my home, where you would’ve been safe,” he told her, running his hand over her head and cupping her cheek again.

  Becky closed her eyes and leaned against his hand.

  She didn’t want to admit to what she’d done, but she had to get it all out now. “I screwed up,” she baldly told the group around her.

  At the shake of Dean’s head and the frown on Steve’s face, she nodded her head. “Yes, I did. I knew I waited too long to come to the hospital after it happened and I took a shower.” She bowed her head. “I knew I’d be destroying evidence, but I had to…I just had to.” Her voice got really soft. “I did keep my clothes separate and they took samples when I did come in…I just hope it’s enough.”

  Bethany was the one who came over toward Becky next and she put her hand on Becky’s leg. “It’s okay, Becky, believe me when I say we don’t blame you and I know I would’ve done the same thing.”

  Becky didn’t know how she’d gotten so lucky to have met this family, but she knew she’d be thanking her lucky stars for the rest of her life. They’d been so supportive and she knew she’d be a mess if it wasn’t for them.

  “Okay, guys,” Bethany said a bit more cheerily, trying to lighten the mood a bit. “Let’s go. Becky needs her rest. Dean, you stay.”

  Dean managed a smile. He loved his mom. She always seemed to know what someone needed, and right now Becky needed some time to process all his family had said and done for her.

  Bethany and Steve left the room, but before Jonathan left, he came up to the couch and touched Becky on the shoulder.

  “I’ll take care of this for you,” he said quietly. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t there for you. I knew something was wrong and I came to the hotel that night, but when I couldn’t find you I left. I shouldn’t have, and for that I’ll never forgive myself.”

  He turned to leave, but Becky reached up and grabbed his hand.

  “Jonathan…please…this isn’t your fault. Please, look at me,” Becky pleaded with him.

  Jonathan looked into her eyes and Becky could see how much he was torturing himself over her. She reached up and placed her hand on the side of his face, amazed at how right it felt and how she wasn’t scared, even though this was the first time she’d ever touched this man. She was half afraid she’d never be normal again and never be able to touch another man without having flashbacks.

  “Thank you for looking for me,” she told him quietly. “I know you would’ve done everything you could to help me if you could have, and I’ll forever be grateful for that.” And amazingly she did know it. She wasn’t sure if it was because of the odd connection she had with Dean or what, but she knew Jonathan would’ve done anything he could have for her.

  Jonathan nodded. “Thanks, Becky. I’m going to go to the police station and talk to them about what I know about those two. I’ve watched them for the last month or so through the camera lens and I think I could probably help with some more information. I’m also going to talk to the other camera operators to see if they’d also help.”

  At seeing Becky’s face drain of color, he quickly reassured her. “They don’t know all that happened, Becky. All they know is that Derek and David beat you up. They don’t know about…anything else.”

  Becky nodded and tried to remind herself she didn’t do anything wrong. “Okay, any help they can give to get those two off the streets is good. I appreciate your help, Jonathan.”

  He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek, squeezed her hand and left the room.

  Becky leaned back carefully so her back was to Dean’s chest. He turned them so they were reclining on the couch. Dean put his arm around Becky’s waist and held her to him. He couldn’t believe he could’ve lost her. If Derek and David had been a bit more sober, or even had gotten their hands on some sort of weapon, they easily could’ve killed her. He’d seen it happen too many times in his line of work to take for granted the close call his One had.

  He kissed the top of her head. “Relax, sweetheart. I’ve got you. We’ll get this all figured out…later. For now, just relax and know you’re safe. I’ll always keep you safe.”

  Becky nodded off to sleep, secure in the knowledge that she was safe in Dean’s arms.

  Epilogue

  The last couple of months had gone by in a blur for Becky. She’d stayed with Dean’s family until she’d been able to move without pain and Dean had quickly moved her into his home. It was, of course, gorgeous. She ended up quitting her underwriting job because Dean’s parents had offered her th
e chance to work at the refuge center with them. They’d sworn it wasn’t a pity job, and Becky eventually believed them. She worked her butt off and loved every minute.

  Dean agreed to move Star into their home. It was a bit of a risk, since she wasn’t a full blooded domestic dog, but Star had proven to be very loyal to Becky and hardly ever left her side. She was allowed to come to the refuge center every day with Becky and seemed to know when it was appropriate to laze around on the porch at the house when she was working with skittish abused animals, and when it was okay to tag along aside her as she did chores. Even when it looked like Star was sound asleep on the porch, she always knew where Becky was. It was as if the two of them had some telepathic connection with each other. The second Becky would finish working with an animal Star couldn’t be around, the little coyote-mix would bound off the porch and find her beloved Becky.

  Dean told Becky about how Star had kept the scrap of fabric she’d torn off her sleeve when Becky came to say goodbye. Becky was amazed. All she could do was hug the little coyote-mix and thank her for her unconditional love.

  Derek and David had been found. Incredibly, they hadn’t even been hiding. Jonathan had kept his word and gone to the police, along with Kina and a few other camera operators and they’d told the cops everything they knew about the brothers. It turned out they’d actually been arrested in the past for attempted rape, but because the woman was scared to testify, they hadn’t been convicted of the crime.

  Derek had tried to claim the night was consensual, and David had tried to blame everything on his brother. So much for brotherly love. They were eventually sentenced to five years in jail for kidnapping and attempted rape, among other things. They were convicted mostly based on the testimony from Becky. She knew they probably wouldn’t spend that much time in jail and would make probation, but she was glad at least they’d pay for what they did to her. She didn’t worry about them coming after her, she had Dean, and Jonathan, and their parents and all of the employees who worked at the refuge looking out for her. She felt safe.

  Becky hadn’t wanted to testify. It scared her to death to face the two men in the courtroom, but she knew she had to. She knew they’d do it to someone else eventually if she chickened out. With the help of her therapist, and her new family, she was able to get through the trial.

  Dean and his family had been amazing. She knew her own family had loved her, but the no strings attached love Steve and Bethany had shown her was amazing. They joked with her, and even sometimes cried with her when she needed it. Amazingly, it didn’t even feel awkward.

  Becky couldn’t believe how much she loved Dean. When he’d taken her home after she got out of the hospital he’d done exactly what he said he would. He undressed her slowly and lovingly caressed every inch of her body. The words Derek and David had written on her body in the permanent marker were still faintly visible and he’d kissed every single one and replaced the memory of them being etched on her body with the memory of his lips kissing and nipping at her skin. He never took his own clothes off that first night, not wanting her to feel any pressure or remember how their naked bodies felt against her own. After trying to wipe out all the negative emotions she’d received at their hands, he simply wrapped her up in his arms and held her all night long.

  Dean never told her he hadn’t slept at all that night, but she’d overheard him telling Jonathan. Apparently, he’d watched her sleep and cried. He was just so overcome with emotions. He’d finally gotten to see firsthand what those two creeps had done to her body. It was such a bittersweet moment. He told Jonathan he’d been overwhelmed with joy at being able to touch her for the first time, but also furious at how she’d been violated. She never told him she’d overheard him having the emotional conversation with his brother, but hearing his words helped her heal. He hadn’t been disgusted at seeing her. Rather more awestruck at how strong she’d been to get through it.

  It took some time for Becky to convince herself she’d done all she could to get away and to let go of the negative feelings that had lingered. The weekly visits to the therapist helped immensely. Every now and then when she felt overwhelmed she’d make an appointment to go back and see her. Every time, she felt lighter. She knew eventually she wouldn’t need to see her anymore, but for now she was content.

  One night while they were eating dinner at the refuge, Steve told Becky the story about the men in their family and their One. She was amazed.

  “Was that how it happened with you?” she’d asked Dean incredulously. He’d only nodded and said calmly, “Yes, I knew you belonged to me from the moment I saw you look up from that rock at Devil’s Canyon and your eyes met mine.”

  Becky knew she was the luckiest woman alive. And to think if it hadn’t been for the stupid reality show she never would’ve met Dean.

  Jonathan was currently in Alaska on his last assignment as a camera operator. He hadn’t wanted to go, but Becky convinced him she was fine. She knew he still felt guilty about not searching harder for her when he’d gone to the hotel that night, but she’d tried to reassure him that there wasn’t anything else he could’ve done.

  Jonathan was excited to move back to Arizona to be with his family and start working with Dean. He’d seen firsthand how abusive people could be and he wanted to be a part of protecting those who needed it.

  Eddie and his production crew got off relatively easily after the fiasco with Derek and David. The lawyers tried to convince Becky to press charges against Eddie on the grounds he should’ve done a more extensive background check on the applicants for the show. They argued if he had, then Derek and David’s past allegations against them would’ve come to light and Becky never would’ve been hurt. Becky declined. She honestly just didn’t want to think about it anymore and wanted to put the entire nightmare behind her.

  Dean gave her the best advice, though. Becky still grinned every time she thought about it. He suggested the lawyers get in writing as a part of the condition of her not suing Eddie and the production company in the future, that the reality show never be aired. Becky didn’t think Eddie would go for it, especially considering how much money had already been spent on the production of the show, but surprisingly he did. She supposed he probably had some pressure put on him from the executives, but whatever the reason, she was thrilled.

  Becky didn’t have to worry about what she’d look like to millions of people and she never had to worry about seeing re-runs of Derek and David haunting her forever. She thought about Marissa and how all her dreams of becoming famous went down the drain and had to laugh. Becky figured she deserved it. She felt bad for about ten minutes, but Dean distracted her by picking her up and carrying her to their bedroom, and all thoughts of Marissa and what she thought disappeared in an instant.

  * * *

  Jonathan stood in the wind and shivered. God, he couldn’t wait to be done with this stupid show and get back to Arizona where it was warm. He looked out of the corner of his eye at Kina. Kina. His One. She was standing next to him, also filming. He’d been blown away when he’d gone to talk to her after they’d found Becky and realized in an instant that Kina was his. Damn. He hadn’t ever really talked to her much or even seen her very often on the set in Arizona. It was only when he needed her help he’d actually realized that not only was she incredibly beautiful, but she was the one woman made especially for him.

  He never really believed the One nonsense his dad had always talked about growing up, until he’d seen it happen to his brother. Dean had taken one look at Becky and known he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. It’d taken a while, but eventually Becky fell for him too and now, even after everything Becky had gone through, they were together and happy.

  Jonathan knew Kina would be a different story. She was hard. He didn’t know how he knew that, but he did. She didn’t smile much and he’d overheard her talking with another camera operator about how she didn’t believe in love anymore. Something had happened to her to make her think that way.
He was trying to figure out a way to get closer to her, but it was difficult. She stayed to herself and didn’t encourage the other camera operators to get close to her. He’d find a way, though, he had to. She was his. Even if she didn’t know it. She’d figure it out in the long run.

  * * *

  Download the next book in the Beyond Reality Series:

  Frozen Hearts

  * * *

  Read on for an excerpt from the third and final book in Beyond Reality Series,

  Frozen Hearts

  The camera crew had arranged to meet at the car early the next morning so they could get to the set on time and be ready to go when Eddie assembled the contestants. Jonathan subtly arranged to sit next to Kina in the far back seat.

  “Good morning, Kina.”

  “Good morning, Jonathan.”

  “Did you sleep well?”

  “Yes, you?”

  “Not really.”

  Kina looked directly at him for the first time that morning, her eyebrows raised. Jonathan answered her unasked question.

  “I never sleep well the first night in a strange place.” He debated what he wanted to say next and decided to go ahead and tell her something personal about himself in the hope she’d want to get to know him better. “I also sometimes have nightmares, so I generally don’t sleep well anywhere.”

  Wow. Kina wasn’t sure what to say to that. She desperately wanted to know more about the handsome man sitting next to her, but she didn’t want to be nosey. She knew she had a reputation of being standoffish, but she didn’t want to be with this man. Aw, the hell with it. He’d brought it up in the first place.

  “Nightmares?”

  “Yeah, nothing I want to go into here and now, but if you get to know me better I’ll share.”

  Kina blushed. Shit. She hadn’t meant to lead him on in any way. She never did with any man, but he took her words the wrong way. She tried to backpedal. “I didn’t mean…”