He popped into her head, clearing away the other more horrific images that clouded her mind. The intensity in his gaze, the touch of his hand against her face.
She was such a fool.
Realisation dawned on her. If she’d left with him last night, if she’d run when he asked her to, the horror of the night wouldn’t have happened. Instead of staring into her reflection, a haunted expression on her face, she would be safe in his arms.
There was still time.
She could go to him now, explain what had happened… Riley would know what to do. He’d know how to help. He could make everything right.
How could she go and leave her father to the mercy of Marcus, though?
The question dealt her a devastating blow, breaking apart all her plans to simply run from the house and leave her misery behind.
The muffled sound of raised voices had Holly quieten her sobs. She crept from the bathroom, her breath catching in the back of her throat as her eyes came to rest on the dark red bloodstain across the duvet and floor.
Skirting around the edge of the room, she reached the remnants of the door and pulled it open. In the hall the voices were louder, clearer. A frightened scream ripped the air and it only took Holly a second to realise what she was listening to.
Holly was acutely aware of the fearful thudding of her heart in her chest as she raced for the stairs. Taking the steps two at a time, she gripped the banister as her body threatened to tip itself into a head-first tumble.
Rounding the corner into the living room, she practically ran into Marcus where he stood inside the door. He turned, grabbing her arms, and it was then Holly noticed the glassy and unfocused look in his eyes. Whatever was wrong with him it wasn’t just an overindulgence in alcohol.
Nessie sat on the floor, her back propped against the couch but the more Holly stared at her unmoving body the more she noticed the odd angling of her limbs as though she was a puppet whose strings had been cut.
“She stuck me with a needle—the silly cow fucking drugged me…” Marcus stumbled forward, taking Holly with him as he picked up speed and slammed her into the wall.
The blow knocked the air from her lungs and sent her head spinning.
“This is all because of you, you caused all of this…” Marcus paused and shook his head violently and it made Holly cringe away from him. The unfocused look in his eyes only seemed to be getting worse as he held her against the wall.
“George wouldn’t be so pissed off at me if you’d just done as you were told,” Marcus said, leaning in against Holly’s neck. Each word that left his mouth was punctuated by a dot of spittle against her ear.
“I’m going to fucking hang you naked in the centre of Breaker’s Point and then we’ll see what Georgie thinks of his precious plan.”
Marcus’ grip disappeared and Holly watched as her father dragged him across the room before landing a punch that sent Marcus sprawling.
“You’re scum. If you ever touch a hair on my daughter’s head I swear to God I’ll make you beg for death long before I let you have it.”
“Dad,” Holly said, her voice trembling with uncertainty. It was hard to wrap her head around the fact that he seemed to be her saviour. After everything he’d said to her, the insults and cruel taunts.
“Holly, I’ve been a selfish bastard and I want to set things straight.”
The shake in his hands and the fine tremor that seemed to run through his body from head to toe told her he hadn’t had a drink yet but after everything it was hard to trust what her mind was telling her.
Marcus staggered to his feet and wiped his hand across his mouth, smearing blood across his chin.
“Well, isn’t this sweet: a little family reunion, but how long will that last, Niall? How long before you need another drink and another and another? I own you and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
“I can kill you,” Niall said, gritting his teeth as he took a step forward, his shaking hands curling into fists.
Holly saw the flash of steel, the dull glint of the blade in the morning light as Marcus let it drop down from the inside of his sleeve.
“No!” Holly screamed, the word sounding more like a howl of anguish than an actual word.
Marcus barrelled forward, his momentum burying the knife in her father’s stomach.
She screamed again, the sound echoing around the living room as Niall clutched at Marcus’ arm and went to his knees.
The expression he wore was one of surprise as he stared down at the knife buried up to its handle in his gut.
“Holly, run.” His words were whispered but she heard him, her hesitation costing her precious seconds as Marcus turned towards her.
“Run!” Her father shouted this time, his voice hoarse with pain as he jerked the blade from his stomach and stabbed Marcus.
She didn’t need to be told a second time, her legs beginning to move without the thought fully forming in her mind.
Jerking open the front door, she ran out into the cold morning air, the sharp stones cutting into her feet as she ran out across the gravel for her car parked near the top of the driveway.
Climbing in behind the wheel, she glanced in the rear-view mirror and sobbed as Marcus appeared in the doorway, a bright crimson stain appearing down the front of the pale blue shirt he wore.
Gunning the engine, Holly tore out of the drive, spraying gravel behind her as the tyres fought to find purchase against the uneven surface.
Spinning the wheel, she drove blind. The only thought that mattered was to get away and get help.
* * *
Jerking the wheel, Holly turned the car into Riley’s driveway.
She needed someone who already understood the situation, someone who wouldn’t ask too many complicated questions but who would understand the urgency.
Holly didn’t bother to kill the engine as she hopped out of the car and raced up the front steps. Frantically she pressed the doorbell, listening to the sound as it echoed through the house.
He has to be home, he has to be…
It hadn’t occurred to her what might happen if he wasn’t home and yet the continued silence seemed to suggest he wasn’t.
Holly slumped against the wall. She’d placed all her hope in Riley being at home and now…
The door swung open and hope flared in Holly’s heart only to be dashed once more as she realised it wasn’t Riley who stood in the hall scrubbing his hands across his bleary and bruised eyes.
“Griffin, is Riley home?” she said, stepping in through the door. She remembered Griffin from when she used to date Riley. But she hadn’t seen him since he’d left to pursue his passion in music and Riley had never really talked about him.
“It’s, Hannah, right?” Griffin said as he yawned and stretched.
“It’s Holly, my name is Holly. Where’s Riley? Please, this is important?”
“You’re the chick he blew half a mill on, aren’t you?”
“Griffin!”
“Fine, chill! I don’t know where the tightwad is. He mentioned something about a date or something, I wasn’t really listening. It was too early…”
Holly slid slowly to the ground as her legs disappeared out from beneath her.
“Lady, are you okay? You don’t look so good and what the hell happened to your dress?” Griffin’s voice changed, turning suddenly serious as he crouched down next to her.
“I need Riley, he’s the only one who’ll understand… My dad and Marcus…” Holly sobbed and her words were little more than a garbled mess.
“Shit…” Griffin muttered before he slipped his hands around her and picked her up from the doorstep. He carried her into the living room and sat her on the couch before disappearing from the room, reappearing moments later with a phone in his hands.
“Look, I’ve called the cops, okay? I know you said Riley would understand but I can’t get him on his cell—I’ll keep trying.”
“I tried, I really did. When he told me to run, I di
d… I should have stayed, I should have tried to help him,” Holly said, pushing to her feet. “I need to leave, I have to go back.”
Griffin’s strong hands on her shoulders stopped her.
“The cops will be here soon. Just wait for them and I promise I’ll get Riley on the phone.”
Holly nodded and sat back down on the couch, her head spinning with thoughts she couldn’t even begin to sort through.
She was a coward. A coward who deserved everything coming to her. And now because of her stupidity, her father was dead. How was she ever going to live with herself knowing he was gone because of her?
The sound of a car crunching into the drive had her up from the couch and at the window before Griffin could try and stop her. But the lazy flash of the blue and red lights left her disappointed.
“I’ll get the door,” Griffin said.
Holly continued to stare out the window and watched as the two uniformed officers stepped out of their cruiser and approached the house slowly.
Muffled voices in the hall brought back memories of the morning. She should have stayed upstairs, away from Marcus and his violent temper. But deep down Holly knew it wouldn’t have mattered. He’d have sought her out, took it out on her in another way.
Mom.
The thought hit her like a punch to the gut that left her gasping for air.
Holly had no idea when her mother was due to arrive but it had to be soon. Marcus knew only too well the threat of violence only worked if he had someone to take his anger out on.
“Miss McCombe, what appears to be the issue?”
Holly turned to face the officers who stepped into the room.
“Marcus Stark stabbed my father, I think he killed him. I ran before he could stop me. You need to arrest him.” Holly let out a long sigh, the tension that had held her body together slowly whooshing out of her and making her faint.
“If you’d like to come with us, Miss McCombe, we’ll go down to the station and take a statement from you.”
She nodded and started towards them before pausing to wrap her arms around Griffin who stood awkwardly inside the door.
“Thank you,” she said as he hugged her back.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t more use. I’ll keep trying Riley, tell him where you’ve gone.”
Holly nodded and slowly withdrew from Griffin’s grip as one of the officers touched her gently on the back, indicating they needed to leave.
“Here, take this. Riley won’t mind you borrowing his coat, and it’ll be a hell of a lot warmer than that dress,” Griffin said, handing her a long black coat.
Holly recognised it immediately as the one Riley had worn the night before and as she wrapped it around her, she found herself instantly surrounded by the familiar scent of his aftershave.
“Thank you, Griffin.” She shot him a watery smile before following the officers out the door and down to the police cruiser.
“I’ll take your car with us. We’ll be able to sweep it for evidence…”
Holly nodded, the words not truly penetrating the fog that had descended over her mind as she climbed into the back of the police car.
Holly stared out the window, her mind at last completely blank. Too much had happened and she was exhausted.
It was a relief to finally know something would be done about Marcus, but it had come too late.
The car wound its way down Cliff Road, passing the other houses, and Holly found herself wondering what went on behind the closed doors of the other houses in Breaker’s Point.
The car turned and Holly felt something tighten in the pit of her stomach.
“I thought we were going into town, to the station?” she said, leaning forward and placing her hand against the solid mesh partition that separated the back seat from the front of the car.
There was no answer and Holly’s heart fluttered in her chest as he turned onto the drive and her house loomed large in the windscreen.
“We can’t come here! You can’t take me back here!” Panic filtered into her voice and Holly slammed her palm against the metal, rattling it.
If she could just get his attention, get him to look at her, then he’d understand and they’d simply turn around and leave. It wasn’t too late… There was still time to escape.
The car rolled to a halt in front of the house and Marcus stepped out onto the front porch. Holly’s stomach twisted as his eyes found hers and a wide grin slid across his face.
Chapter 21
“What the hell do you mean she was here and then the cops took her into town?” Riley’s voice boomed through the house, bouncing off the walls and echoing back to his ears as though mocking him.
He should have been here. He should have been the one to open the door to her, comfort her…
“She was really upset, saying some guy called Marcus had stabbed her dad. I thought calling the cops was the right thing to do… I tried calling you and there was no answer and…”
Riley cut Griffin off as he moved in closer, his fists balling into the front of his brother’s jumper, dragging him closer until they were eye to eye.
“You called the cops here in Breaker’s Point and then you let her leave with them? Did you not think it was a little odd that they insisted she go to the station? Victims of violent crime aren’t treated like criminals and bundled into the back of cop cars!”
“Riley, I’m sorry. What was I supposed to think? They’re the cops. I tried contacting you, I really did, but you weren’t picking up…”
“Then you should have tried harder! Christ, Griffin, if anything happens to her, I’ll hold you personally responsible.”
Riley released him as suddenly as he’d grabbed him, shoving him away and out of his reach.
“When did they leave?” Riley said, pushing his hands back through his hair.
“About thirty minutes ago, maybe forty…” Griffin said, dipping his head to stare at his shoes.
“So what do we do now?” Stuart asked, his voice low and angry.
“I’m going up there. I’m tired of waiting, of biding my time, especially after what we found up at Marshall’s airstrip. If Marcus has flipped, then I’m not going to wait around for him to hurt her or…” Riley trailed off, images of Holly swirling in his mind.
Guilt gnawed at him and Riley knew he should have gone to his contact at the bureau sooner. He’d been an idiot to sit on the information but hindsight was always 20/20.
He’d threatened Griffin, but he was the one at fault. He’d waited far too long. If he’d gone with his gut instinct to begin with, then none of this would be happening.
“Clay said to give him time,” Stuart said.
“To hell with Clay. I can’t wait any longer, Stu. If anything happens to her it’ll be my fault. I’m going up there now to finish this once and for all.”
“Then I’m coming with you. You’re going to need some sort of backup and that’s one thing I’m good at.” Stuart grinned and reached behind his back to pull a gun from the concealed holster he wore.
Striding into the office, Riley pulled one of the books on the bookshelf next to the desk and a panel slid open, revealing his own private collection of firearms.
Grabbing the Glock 17 from its resting place, he slid out the clip and checked the bullets. It felt good to finally be doing something and the thought of putting a bullet through the centre of Marcus’ head if he’d laid a finger on Holly again made him feel even better.
“Let’s go,” he said, heading for the car.
“Riley, I’m really sorry…” Griffin said. Riley could hear the remorse in his voice but none of it mattered, not now, not when he had to focus on finding Holly safe and sound.
* * *
Riley gunned the engine, the car easily manoeuvring around the sweeping bends of Cliff Road.
It was proving difficult to keep his thoughts positive and every time he let his mind slip, the car veered across the white line.
Stuart’s phone began to shrill and Riley shot
his brother an impatient look.
“It’s Clay…” Stuart said, lifting the phone to his ear. “You’ve done what?”
Riley fought not to snatch the phone from Stuart’s hand and press it to his own ear to listen to what Clay had to say.
Rounding another bend, Riley hit the brakes hard enough to make Stuart swear. The tyres squealed and the smell of burning rubber filled the car.
The car came to a complete halt and Riley gripped the steering wheel hard enough for his fingers to lose their colour. Holly’s car sat on the hard shoulder, the front and side of the car a mangled wreck.
The sight of it was enough to make Riley gag.
The back door on Holly’s car opened and Clay stepped out, one side of his face a mask of bright blood. The sight of him halted Riley’s heart completely and without waiting for Stuart to say anything, Riley hopped out of the car and ran.
Chapter 22
“Thank you, Officer,” Marcus said as the cop who had driven Holly back to the house dragged her from the backseat.
“I can take it from it here.”
“Are you sure, because there’s only so much covering we can do for you. You got lucky this time; don’t let it happen again,” the cop said, twisting Holly’s arm until she was forced to stop struggling or risk having her arm snapped like a twig.
“I’m going to tie everything up later this evening. Tell George I’m ready to proceed.”
“Please don’t do this. He’s a killer, please!” She pleaded with the cop holding her, twisting in his grip to stare up into his face.
He didn’t even look at her as he nodded at Marcus and pushed her towards him as though she were simply a piece of property getting returned to its owner.
“You can’t do this!” she shrieked, fighting against Marcus as the police officers walked away, leaving her to his mercy.
He manhandled her up the steps and in the front door, his hand twisting viciously into her hair as he dragged her through the hall and into the living room.
Breaker's Point Bad Boy Billionaires Boxset Page 28
