Ember

by K. T Fisher

  “Wait, was this the night I picked you up when you were crying?” I ask.

  “Yeah,” she whimpers. “I’m sorry, I should have told you the truth, but I don’t want anyone to know.”

  “Why not?”

  “I don’t want anyone involved. This is my mess and I need to put a stop to it.”

  “Why haven’t you told your brother?” I ask. She needs to tell Tate.

  “I can’t.” She sounds so defeated and I hate it.

  “I think you need to, Crys. You don’t want it escalating to what we’re going through with Joe,” I point out.

  “It won’t come to that,” she protests and frowns.

  “You don’t know that,” I reply. “I didn’t think a one-night-stand would turn into a psycho rapist who now stalks me.”

  Crystal stares right at me and eventually nods. “I’ll think about it.”

  At least it’s a start.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Roxie

  I’m sick of seeing Paige’s happy face around here. She has a permanent and sickly sweet smile, and it’s really fucking annoying. Lacey doesn’t seem very happy with her excited attitude, either, because we’re both suffering with missing our men, and seeing as Paige’s happiness is because of Tony, the security guard, makes matters worse.

  Also, just to add salt into our wounds, Tony is guarding the house. While on tour, the guys wanted us protected and safe so they hired the guards from when the other girls went on tour. When Paige heard the news, she actually jumped up and down, earning scowls from both Lacey and I.

  Fucking Paige and her sexy guard are doing my head in!

  Besides Paige and her lover, we’re pretty safe between the other guards and the two sets of security gates. At least I’m hoping we are.

  Paige practically skips down the stairs, and I want to hit her in her face. I heard them last night.

  “Finished prepping yourself for tonight?” I hate how much you can hear the jealousy in my voice.

  “Don’t hate,” Paige sticks her tongue out.

  The alarm system starts to beep, alerting that someone is at the gate. Paige, being Paige, carriess on walking right past the phone to see who it is.

  “Paige!” I shout.

  “What?” she shouts back.

  “The gate!” I shout louder, but she doesn’t answer it still. “I’ll get it then!”

  “Ok!” she yells back, and I just know she’s fucking smiling.

  With regret, I leave my comfortable seat and go to answer the phone which connects to the front gate.

  “Hello?” I answer, but I hear nothing. “Hello?”

  When I’m still met with silence, I hang up and call to Steve, the other security guard. When he comes rushing in, I let him know about the weird call.

  “I’ll radio Tony, he’s closer to the front gate.” He frowns as he talks to Tony over the radio ear piece they both have. He doesn’t look very happy, and he’s a chill kind of guy, which makes me nervous.

  After explaining the situation to Tony, he turns and walks towards the front door. “Wait! What’s wrong?” I ask.

  “Nothing,” he says and smiles briefly, leaving me standing alone.

  I hear shouting from outside and Lacey comes to join me. “What’s happening?”

  “I don’t know, but we need to get the girls right now,” I order. “I don’t have a good feeling about this.”

  Lacey nods and we go together to find the girls. I don’t want anyone to be apart right now. Something’s happening, I can feel it in my gut, and I want my girls around me.

  We quickly find Ria and Crystal in the garden, but we can’t find Paige. Where the fuck is my little cousin? We start to hear shouting in the distance, and then Paige comes running out of a bedroom. She’s wide eyed, pale and looking a little panicked.

  “Paige?” I ask her.

  “Tony!” she shouts and tries to storm past us.

  I reach out and stop her. “You’re not going anywhere! Something’s happening out there.”

  Her wide eyes look up at me. “I know, I heard gunshots.”

  “What!?” Crystal shouts, and my grip on Paige drops as dread fills me.

  Paige runs away, but Ria stops her. “You’re not going out there!”

  “I’ve gotta get to him.” Paige starts to cry.

  “You sure you heard gunshots?” Lacey asks.

  Paige looks at us all and then orders us to follow her to the room she just ran out of.

  “Look.” She points to the window which overlooks the front entrance to Cole’s house.

  As I near the window, I see Steve at the closest gate and then I look further and see Tony next to the front gate. He’s on his knees and suddenly, out of nowhere, ear splitting sounds of gunshots make us all jump, and we watch as Tony falls face first onto the ground. Paige screams and falls into Ria’s arms, sobbing.

  My body starts to shake as I know what’s coming. He’s coming for me. I just know it.

  “We need to call the police,” Crystal says and gets out her mobile and calls them. Meanwhile, while we wait to see if they arrive quickly enough, the front gate opens, and men in black clothing walk in.

  “Shit,” Lacey curses.

  “It’s Joe,” I announce.

  They all look at me in shock. “How do you know that?” Paige asks, still crying.

  “I just do. He’s coming for me.”

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Roxie

  Steve finds us still in Paige’s room. “What are you doing?” he demands.

  “What do you mean, what are we doing?” Paige screams in his face. “Where the fuck is Tony?”

  Steve drops his head. “He’s not answering my calls.”

  “Well you need to go and help him.” Paige insists.

  “Paige.” I interrupt. “Just let him do his job.”

  At this her eyes go wide and she seems to accept the possibility of Tony’s death.

  “What are you doing? You should be down there getting rid of those guys!” Crystal shouts at Steve.

  “No, I called the guys and they’re on their way back; they ordered me to stay with you and keep you safe. So that’s what I’m going to do.” Steve stands tall.

  “They’re not going to be here on time,” Lacey whispers.

  “No, but the police might,” Crystal wishes.

  “Come on, Cole said there’s a back entrance we can sneak out of.” Steve leads the way and we quietly hurry downstairs. Ria and Paige help make sure Lacey is ok, and Crystal holds my hand as I try to walk as fast as I possibly can with my baby bump.

  As we reach the entryway, the house gate starts alerting us just like the front entrance gate did. We all pause and listen, thinking about if we should answer it.

  “Maybe if we answer, they will leave us alone,” Ria says.

  “No,” I shake my head. “They’re coming in no matter what.”

  “Answer the phone and keep them distracted,” Steve orders, and walks towards the front door.

  “What the fuck are you doing?” Crystal asks, but he doesn’t reply.

  I don’t think anything of it and answer the phone. He already knows I’m here so what’s the point in hiding?

  “Hello?” I answer, and to my shock, I get a reply this time.

  “Well, hello, my beautiful girl,” Joe speaks, and I shiver from hearing it. I was hoping I would never have to hear that voice again.

  “I’m not your girl,” I remind him.

  “Yes, you are, and you need to come to me. Otherwise, your friends get hurt,” he threatens.

  “You wouldn’t do that to me,” I argue, and then jump again as another round of gunshots sound. I watch as Steve falls to the floor from his position near the front door. The girls run further into the house, crying and screaming as I am.

  “You need to get out here, you and that baby of mine, or I will kill your little bitches in there.” My hands hold onto my stomach.

  “You’re not my baby’s fath
er!” I shout. “This baby is not yours!”

  “Too late, I’m coming to get you instead.” As soon as the words are said, I hear the gates open, and we all run away as quickly as possible.

  Joe laughs as he strolls into the house. “Why are you running, girls?”

  Joe is surrounded by three other men, and they’re a scary sight. I watch as Joe searches around until he locks eyes with me and then charges for me. I hear Crystal shout when he reaches for me and shakes me hard, his eyes full of hate.

  “Why have you been hiding from me?” he roars.

  “I haven’t,” I whimper, as he tightens his hands on my arms, his fingers painfully digging into my flesh.

  “Yes, you have. You’ve been hiding behind your pathetic little boyfriend and hiding away my baby!” he shouts.

  “It’s not your baby,” I cry. “I was already pregnant when we had sex.”

  “Bullshit,” Joe sneers back. “I’ve come for you, Rox. I know you have secretly wanted me to collect you. You need someone to take you from your fucker of a boyfriend, and here I am.”

  He tries to kiss me, but I close my mouth and deny him access. This makes him laugh and he grabs my face. “Good old Roxie girl, fighting me every way.”

  Joe looks back to his goons standing by the girls. I’m terrified for their safety.

  “Take the girls in there and tie them up!” he shouts, pointing to the living room.

  I watch as one of them grabs Lacey, and I just hope that they don’t hurt her. She’s still a little fragile from her last meeting with Joe. If she has another knock to the head, this time she may not be so lucky.

  Joe sees the panic in my eyes as I watch them herd my friends away. “Don’t worry, baby. Your friends are my friends, I won’t hurt them.” He smirks. “As long as you behave.”

  Joe places his hands on top of my stomach and I try to move away. He starts to caress my belly, but my struggles aren’t enough to get him away from my baby.

  “You’re having my baby.” He looks happy right now, but he has no claim to be. “You make me so happy, Roxie girl.”

  His tone of voice, so sweet, makes me sick. “I’m not having your baby,” I insist.

  Joe laughs. “You don’t have to lie anymore, Roxie. I’m here now. You can be honest with yourself. I’m going to take you away from all of this so you don’t have to lie about loving him any longer. We can finally be together, with our baby.”

  Shit, I knew Joe was crazy, but this is on another level. I just hope my baby and I get out of this alive. The longer I am around him, the more he creeps me out, and I don’t want him anywhere near me because that means he’s closer to my baby.

  I love you, Mason.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Roxie

  With my hands tied behind my back, I watch Joe tear the corner of the bed sheet off.

  “What are you doing?” I dare to ask him.

  “This, Roxie girl, is for when I need to shut you up.” He holds it up for me to see and smirks.

  “I didn’t mean with the sheet,” I say and roll my eyes. “I meant with everything. What are you thinking?”

  “I want you back.” He spreads his arms wide.

  “I was never yours!” I scream back.

  “Oh, Roxie.” He crawls onto the bed and scoots next to me, caressing my cheek. “From the moment I saw you, you were mine, and when we slept together it was confirmed. I felt it in my bones that you were and always will be my Roxie girl.”

  “If you weren’t so deluded, that would be romantic,” I scowl.

  Joe stares at me and for a few seconds, my head in his hands, I think he’s going to snap and I fear for my baby’s life. Until he smiles. “God, I love your sass!”

  I turn my head and Joe jumps up laughing and goes to look out the window. “Your lovely Mason will be on his way so he will be here soon to come to try and save you.” He giggles to himself. “That will be my chance.”

  I dread to ask the question, but I do it anyway. “Chance to do what?”

  He turns to look at me with a surprised look. “To tell him you’re mine, of course.”

  “To just tell him?” I repeat.

  “Sure,” he soothes me, and I relax slightly. “If he doesn’t listen, I will have to kill him, though.”

  His words have my fear for Mason rearing back up my spine. I kind of hope that he will come to help me, but another part of me doesn’t want him anywhere near Joe. Why did I not notice he was this crazy before?

  A tear slides down my cheek, and Joe’s manic looks vanishes as he rushes to my side. “Oh don’t cry, my darling. Tomorrow we will wake up, and it will all be over. You and I will finally be together, ready for the arrival of the baby.” He reaches down and rubs my stomach and I fight to move his hands away from me.

  “How did you get here?” I ask him. I’ve been wondering how he managed to get through the gates. He would have had to know the codes because the guys pay for top security.

  He chuckles and the menacing gleam returns to his eyes. “With the help of your little friend.”

  “Who?” I demand to know.

  “Erm,” he thinks. “Natasha was her name.”

  My eyes widen. “Natasha?” I repeat. “She wasn’t my friend.”

  Why would she have told Joe to come here? Joe’s giggling stops my thoughts.

  “Well, that’s a good job then.” I don’t like the sound of that.

  “What have you done to her?” Sure, she wasn’t my friend, and I didn’t like her very much, but that was because I saw her with Mason. She might have actually been a nice girl but even if she was my enemy, I wouldn’t have wanted her to suffer at the hands of Joe. Nobody deserves that.

  “I have no idea what’s happened to her.” He shrugs like it’s nothing.

  “Joe, this isn’t a joke. She’s a human being, you can’t mess with people’s lives like that,” I shout.

  Joe rolls his eyes. “Rox, this girl came to me and said she had information to offer. She gave you and the codes up in order for me to get to you. She also told me that baby of yours is actually mine, and that both you and Mason are lying to everyone.”

  “That isn’t true! This baby is Mason’s,” I cry.

  “Maybe.” Joe shrugs his shoulders. “Either way, it’s mine now.”

  I try to get my breathing under control before I ask him about Natasha again. I understand now what she did. She ran to Joe to get me out of the way so she could get Mason to herself. It’s obvious, but, unfortunately, it’s landed her in great danger.

  “Joe, where’s Natasha?” My voice is quiet because I am so tired of living through this.

  “Why do you care so much for her?” he snaps.

  “Because I want to know she’s safe,” I beg.

  “Oh,” He sounds displeased. “Well, that I cannot promise you.”

  “Why not?” I ask, panicked.

  “When I was done with her, I gave her away.” He shrugs his shoulders. “She was no use to me anymore.”

  “You gave her away? Joe, she’s not property that you own!” I shout, and I don’t see the slap he gives me. My head swings to the side, he hits me so hard that I leave my head hanging for a moment. My hair covers my face and my cheek stings.

  “See what you made me do?!” Joe shouts. “Fuck!”

  I hear him storm across the room and when he moves the hair out of my face, I see a piece of cloth. “I need to shut you up before you make me do something stupid.”

  I stay quiet as he gags me, glaring at him with so much hatred. When he’s finished he pats my head like I’m a good little girl and leaves me alone in the room. I allow myself a few tears in private before I suck it up and quietly get off the bed. With my hands tied tightly behind my back, not to mention my pregnant belly, it’s a little challenging to make as little noise as possible. I think that I’m about to get away with it and tip toe to the bathroom. The bathroom in this room has a connecting door to the room next door, and I am hoping Joe hasn’t disco
vered this yet. As I get to the door, though, I hear Joe laughing behind me.

  “Look at you, thinking you can get away from me that easily.” He storms over to me, grabs my arm and throws me down on the bed. I try to get up as I panic about my baby and then I see a figure standing in the doorway, watching me.

  “Roxie, meet my friend. He’s going to protect us from your friends.” I look up at Joe and glare at him again. It’s him that I need protecting from!

  “I’ve promised him that if he is successful, he can have one night with you and never again.” My eyes widen as he tells me that he’s bargained me off like this.

  The stranger in black stalks towards me. “Pity about the baby, but she’s still good enough.”

  His fingers slide through my hair and sniffs as he lifts it to his nose. I close my eyes and try to hold the nausea away.

  Suddenly, a loud crash makes us all jump. “POLICE!”

  Oh god, I am so happy to hear the police have finally arrived. Joe orders his even weirder friend outside, and we’re left alone.

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Mason

  After getting the call from Steve, I needed to be with Roxie. I was desperate to know that she was safe, along with the rest of the girls, but none of them were answering their phones.

  When the tour bus approaches the entrance gate, we’re shocked to see paramedics surrounding a man lying face down by the road.

  Booker looks closer out the window. “Shit, that’s Tony.”

  If Tony’s lying dead on the ground, where the fuck is Steve? I fucking hope he’s protecting the girls or, even better, managed to sneak them out of the house in time. Whoever has scared our girls will pay for this.

  We reach Cole’s house and see that the gates are wide open, police running out of their cars. Looks like they’ve only just got here! We jump out of the bus and run inside, only to be stopped by the police. “I’m sorry, but you can’t go in there.” A police officer stops us.

  “That’s our family.” Booker booms from behind me.

  “My pregnant girlfriend is in there with her crazy stalker!” I shout. “I’m going in there.”