“I can’t believe he blamed your parents for all of this.”
I immediately tensed and snapped my eyes open. Noticing my change, Ian stopped rubbing my shoulders. “I didn’t tell you the part about my parents.” I breathed a little heavily and felt my heart thump with adrenaline.
I heard him sigh and felt his arms drop down from my shoulders. I turned towards him for an explanation, but all I could see was a man who had been caught. For what, I didn’t know, but I was about to find out.
“Ian, what are you not telling me?”
He stared at me for a moment, his eyes unblinking. In the end, he knew he had to say something. “For years, we had been together and, for years, you had always picked him over me.”
Shaking my head, I shot out of my seat, tears in my eyes. I couldn’t believe where this was heading. Was Ian playing me this whole time as much as Dean was?
Ian held out his hand in a calming gesture. “Please, hear me out. You need to know how I feel, Tyler. You must have known. You must have sensed how much I’ve loved you all this time.”
I shook my head again, wanting so much for all of this to go away. I needed to know, but my head and heart screamed in agony at the loss of my two best friends. The ones who had been betraying me all these years, not the other way around. This feeling, above all, sent my heart into a tailspin. If I thought I was broken before, I was wrong. Now I’m completely crushed into little pieces. How could anyone recover from this?
“I knew Dean’s parents were trouble. I knew that, eventually, Dean would be embroiled in that trouble. I had to save you from that, Tyler. I had to save you from him.”
“You sent the letter, didn’t you?” I asked, dumbfounded.
Ian’s eyes went wide with shock as he realised I knew, then he dipped his head down with a nod. “Yes, but I only did it so that they would have to flee. I knew once I got the word out that someone was after them, Dean’s mum and dad would be off. I just thought they would go and we would never see them again.”
“But why does Dean think my parents are involved? Why does he think I’m somehow involved?”
He shook his head. “I don’t know. I guess because they were involved in their case.”
I shook my head. “That’s bullshit and you and I both know it. What did the letter say, Ian?” Shaking his head, Ian dipped his eyes to the floor momentarily, trying to open his mouth. I was quick to stop him, though. “Ian, don’t you dare fucking bullshit me. Just tell me the truth!”
Ian sighed and stared up at me. His friendly eyes I came to love dearly were not there anyone. They were lost forever. “I wrote a letter pretending to be your parents. I wanted to make sure it got into the wrong hands. Or, let’s just say, the right hands.”
Tears pooled my eyes. “I can’t believe you would do that to me, Ian. And why does he think I had something to do with it?”
Ian gritted his teeth. “I had to make sure Dean would never come back.”
Closing my eyes, I tried in vain to keep my anger in check. “Why, Ian? Tell me!”
“Because it said in the letter that you told them everything about Dean’s family. It said they were worried about you and didn’t want you mixing in with them. I was only speaking the truth. I was doing your parents a favour.”
I shook my head, unable to comprehend how he could have done this. “By implicating them and putting them in danger? By implicating me?” I suddenly started pacing the room. It was quickly caving in on me and I needed to feel I had space to move.
“You and your family were never in danger, Tyler. I knew Dean would never hurt you, no matter what he found out.”
I snapped my head to him and glared into his eyes. “You see, Ian, that’s where you’re wrong. He has hurt me. He’s hurt me so badly that it’s irreversible now. He wanted me broken, and he’s achieved his goal. I will never heal from what he’s done to me. I will never heal from what you’ve done to me.”
Ian’s eyes glazed over as he shook his head. “No. I can fix this, Tyler. I can make it so you’ll never have to worry about a thing again. I love you. Your parents never wanted you with him and you know it. You were always supposed to be with me.”
Bile rose in my throat at the thought that Ian orchestrated this whole thing to get Dean out of my life. The word “devastated” didn’t even come close to how I felt now.
Suddenly, Ian stood up and made a gesture to come towards me. I backed away, realizing then that I had been scared of the wrong person. It wasn’t only Dean who was a deviant. It was Ian, too. But Ian was worse. His actions were based solely upon his own selfish needs.
“Tyler, come on. It’s me you’re talking to here. I would never hurt you.”
My heart drummed, knowing for a fact that lies were spilling from his mouth. “Did you know that Dean was watching that day?” The words came out of me naturally. If he had gone far enough to get Dean’s whole family away from me, who was to say just how far he would have gone.
He sighed again, shaking his head. “I knew he would have come back for you. I thought it would have been longer, but when a friend of mine told me he was in town, I had to act before it was too late. I couldn’t put you in danger like that, Tyler. He needed to be out of your life forever.”
The anger erupted as I eased back from him. “Who are you to decide who gets to be in my life or not? You knew just how much Dean meant to me. I thought he meant something to you, too, but I was obviously wrong.”
It was only when I got close to the door of my bedroom that I realized just how far I had walked backwards. But Ian was still so close. He must have been edging towards me all this time. Looking over my shoulder, I peered into my bedroom as my heart thumped. There seemed to be no escape. Maybe if I dodged him, I would be able to bolt for the door before he could catch up to me.
Looking back at Ian, he saw the hesitation in my eyes before I sprinted. It was too late, though. He was on me in an instant, dragging me back to the bedroom. “Don’t fight me, Tyler. I’m not here to hurt you.”
Screaming, I raised my arm and elbowed him in the ribs as hard as I could. He doubled over in pain, giving me that little bit of time to get away. Unfortunately, I wasn’t fast enough. He grabbed me from behind, placing a hand over my mouth as he dragged me to my bed. With one quick tug, he threw me onto the bed and held my arms above me in a vice-like grip.
“Do you want me to tie you up and fuck your brains out like Dean did? Do you want to be abused and taken against your will? Is that what you get kick out of, Tyler? I certainly wouldn’t mind obliging.”
I inhaled a deep breath, ready to launch my anger at him. I was no longer afraid. I was hopping mad. “Fuck you,” I seethed through my teeth, trying desperately to break free from him.
His lips were on me within a flash, delving his tongue into my mouth. He was so fierce, so determined, I could feel the metallic taste of my own blood in my mouth.
He broke the kiss, easing back to look at my face. I tried in vain to break free, but he was strong. Stronger than I always thought him to be.
“I always knew you had a dark side to you, Tyler. I think I like it.” He pressed his erection into me to emphasize his point. “Maybe if I just took you without your permission, it would make you want me like you want him. What if I just fucked you hard and fast until you came all around me. Would you then choose me over him?”
I wriggled and fought, but it was no use. “Get off me!” I screamed, knowing full well he wasn’t going to let me go.
He dived his head down again to kiss me, but this time I tuned my head to the side. Ian smiled down at me. “So, this is how you want to play it?”
Holding both my wrists with one hand, Ian pulled something out of his trouser pocket. The minute I saw the rope, I screamed, trying to kick and wriggle with all my might.
“Ah, Tyler. You know you want this.” He wound the rope around my wrists and tied one end to the bed. Once he was finished, he looked down at me with a heated desire I had never seen on
him. I didn’t know who was sicker. Me, for letting this situation go on for so long, or Ian, for thinking this was the lifestyle I truly wanted. I could see it in his eyes. He actually believed that if he raped me, like he thought Dean did, I would want him. What he didn’t realise was I had always wanted my stranger because he was Dean. I had never wanted anyone but Dean.
With that thought in my head, I screamed again, only to have Ian cup a hand around my mouth. With one quick tug, he ripped my knickers from me, and I could feel him desperately trying to get his trousers undone.
I lay there, tears pooling in my eyes, knowing what the person I always considered my best friend was about to do to me. I locked onto Ian’s determined eyes and tried to shake my head. He needed to know I didn’t want this. I never wanted this. I never wanted him.
It didn’t get me anywhere. Ian was obviously too overcome with need to care about what I wanted anymore. So I lay there, waiting for him to start so he would just get it over with. There was nothing I could do to escape, so I just accepted my fate and closed my eyes, waiting.
It was a sound that alerted me to something in the room. I snapped my eyes open to see Dean standing there, hovering over Ian. He saw the desperation in my eyes, and I could see the anger in his. With a quick hold of Ian’s head, Dean snapped his neck. Ian flopped onto me and I was screaming at Dean to get him off. He acted quickly, shoving him aside, and taking his place. With a hand on my mouth, he gently shushed me. The panic that had risen in me a second ago slowly subsided. Dean was not here to hurt me. He never was.
Once he knew I was calmer, he untied my wrists and held me in his arms until my breathing calmed.
“I’m so sorry I didn’t get here quicker,” he said, stroking my hair.
It was then that I sobbed. It was then that I broke down and mourned the loss of everyone I thought was dear to me. Dean, Jeremy, and now Ian.
“I never betrayed you,” I whispered into his chest.
I felt him hug me tighter as his hold calmed me into a false sense of security. “That doesn’t matter now. We can discuss this later. First, I have to take care of him. I will come back for you, but I need to take his body somewhere it will never be found. Do you understand?”
I nodded, but fear tore at my heart. Dean was powerful. I knew that now. He had taken his parents power and used it for his own advantage. But what now? What happens between us now? All of it seemed frightening beyond words.
He manoeuvred himself off me and cupped my face in his hands. He laid a gentle kiss to my forehead and smiled down at me. “I will be back as soon as I can, okay? I need to call someone first.” He scrambled off me and opened up his phone. He walked out into my living room, leaving me with Ian’s dead body. I daren’t look his way. I daren’t see the lifeless look that was in his eyes now.
I could hear Dean telling someone to meet him on the second fire exit of his building. It was then I realized he must have used a secret entryway in and out of my apartment block. No wonder he was so good at what he did.
I heard the sound of his phone flip down as he waltzed back into my room. I noticed him look down at Ian as if he was just like any other dead body he had ever seen before. That thought chilled me to the bone.
“I’m going to take this piece of shit out towards the front door.”
I nodded. “I think that would be a good idea.” I couldn’t move, and I think he sensed my apprehension.
With a smile, I heard him pull Ian across the floor. I turned over, not wanting to see what he was doing. I had shut down, wanting to protect myself. I didn’t want this. I didn’t ask for this, and I certainly didn’t want to live like this anymore.
It was around ten minutes later that Dean came back into my room and tugged on my shoulder. “I’m going to head out now. I may be a couple of hours, but I promise I will be back. Are you going to be okay?”
I nodded and heard him leave the apartment. The minute he was gone, I was out of my bed, grabbing a suitcase, and throwing everything I could think of in there. I sat down, wrote a quick letter, discarded my ripped knickers, and gathered all my belongings.
As I raced down to my car, I quickly called my mother and told her I needed her help. I quickly relayed bits and pieces over the phone and she told me she would make all the arrangements.
I scrambled to get everything in, got in my car, and sped away as quickly as I could. It was awkward at first, as I had to reverse out. You can never get away quickly when reversing. Damn you, Dean!
I drove the half-hour or so to my parents’ house and got out as quickly as I could to knock on the door.
“Dear God, Tyler. Are you okay?” my mum asked as I walked through the door.
“I am now, but I need to get away, Mum. I can’t deal with this right now.”
My mum pulled me into her arms and gently stroked my hair. “It’s okay, Tyler. I’ve arranged everything. There’s no need to be afraid anymore. We will sort it all out.”
Pulling out of our embrace, I looked at my mother. “He said you and dad ratted out his parents. He said you were the reason they are now dead. But it was Ian all along. He sent a letter, which was supposed to be from you, telling them I had told you everything about them and that you were worried about me.”
Her eyes widened in shock. “I can’t believe he would do that. I knew word got out that a rival family, a bit higher than Dean’s mum and dad, were going to kill them off in a bid to stop them taking over in the future. They came to us because they were fearful for Dean’s life. They wanted revenge but, ultimately, they could see it would mean putting their son’s life in jeopardy. They were going to cut a deal, exchanging information for protection. Obviously, they weren’t protected enough. They still found them in the end. Luckily, Dean wasn’t there when it happened. I heard he was upset and ran off. They went looking for him and that’s when it happened.”
A twinge of guilt washed over me, thinking maybe he was upset over me and that caused him to flee. If it wasn’t for that, maybe his parents would still be alive.
“Why didn’t you tell me all this?”
My mother sighed. “Because it wasn’t my business to tell. Client confidentiality and all that. Besides, I wanted to protect you. I didn’t want you to get embroiled in all the mess.”
I could feel the anger rising a little. “Mum, that wasn’t for you to decide. You knew how much Dean meant to me.”
She nodded and grabbed my shoulders. “Yes, but your well-being was my only concern. I was only doing what a caring mother would do in order to protect her daughter. I didn’t tell you simply to keep you safe. Ian thought it was for the best. He even suggested we not tell you anything.” My mother shuddered a little, now realising that he was secretly playing everyone.
My stomach twisted, remembering the events that took place tonight. Now Ian was dead, and I was left feeling an absolute devastating loss for something I never even had. What are friends for if you couldn’t even trust them? I was determined now that I would never let anyone in like that again. Jeremy was right to think the way he did. Everyone just shit on you in the end. I was never going to trust anybody ever again.
“Did you not think to ask how Ian knew all about it himself?”
She shrugged her shoulders. “I assumed he knew because he was friends with Dean. I just assumed Dean had told him everything.”
I laughed. There was that word again. Lately, it was fucking up everybody’s lives.
Shaking my head, I looked into my mother’s eyes. “I could ask more, but I don’t think we have a lot of time. Can we go now?”
My mother nodded and called for my father to get off the phone and come down so we could go. “Your father has been on the phone all night, trying to sort everything out,” she explained. I nodded, but that was all. After everything that had transpired tonight, I was just itching to get away…and fast.
“Hey, Dad,” I said, watching as he appeared at the bottom of the stairs.
“Hey, pumpkin,” he answered, takin
g me in his arms. “I’m so sorry you’ve been through all this alone. Why didn’t you tell us you were being stalked?”
I shrugged, not really wanting to get into this right now. My mother could tell I wasn’t in the mood, so she turned to my dad. “Look, Derren, I don’t think she really wants to get into this right now. Let’s just get her away, then we’ll talk about it all later when we have time.”
I nodded with a smile and we headed out the door as quickly as possible.
It felt strange seeking help from my parents. I had always took pride in trying to go it alone and do my own thing. My mum and dad always wanted to be there and aid me anyway they could, but I never let them. This was the first and only time I would seek their help. And it was all because of a boy who had stolen my heart twenty-three years ago. Funny how life can change things so dramatically. Dean was certainly right about one thing. He was the man of my dreams and my worst nightmare rolled into one. He captured me, stole me, ruined me, and he ultimately got what he came for. I was ruined. I was broken. I was, and always would be, his.
Chapter 44
Tyler
In my car, I followed my parents the fifty miles or so to Brighton Harbour where we met Jose, a loyal friend and a skipper for the yacht named Sea Trials. It always made me smile whenever I thought of that name.
“Chica,” Jose bellowed from the yacht. “Such a long time, no see.”
I smiled up to Jose and came on board to give him a hug. “It’s nice to see you, Jose. I’m sorry we’re disturbing you so late in the evening.”
Jose pulled away and waved his hands dismissively. “It is never a problem for you,” he answered, a Spanish lilt to his accent. He had lived here thirty years, but still couldn’t hide his true roots.
“You know what to do, don’t you, Jose? You got everything?” my father asked.
Jose nodded. “Of course, Mr. O’Shea. Tyler is in safe hands. There is a bit of a storm forecast in the Med, but I will do my best to avoid passing through that. We will be fine.” Jose nodded again, but turned to get back to work and leave us to say our goodbyes.
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