by Jennifer Ann
Gwen digs the muzzle into Evelyn’s temple. “Tell me, Charlie, or so help me God I’ll put a fuckin’ bullet in her head!”
Evelyn whimpers louder with tears rolling over her delicate freckles.
“You don’t have to do this to her!” I plead, the palms of my hands held out. I step a little closer, intending on grabbing her if she doesn’t listen. “Please, she has nothing to do with this!”
Gwen shakes her head with black makeup spreading down her cheeks. “Don’t fuck with me, Charlie! I have to know!”
Then I hear the small metallic click of the safety and my heart clenches. Sobbing into the cloth, Evelyn’s eyes close, her freckles scrunched and shoulders shaking.
“Please, stop!” I roar.
Gwen yells my name in a plea and Evelyn’s cries become desperate.
My entire world is at the mercy of a trigger.
It’s time to tell the truth.
“It was a fucking accident!” I blurt. “He was drunk and pissed off because our father wouldn’t give him the time of day! He brought the goddamned gun, said he was going to end his misery once and for all! I called our father to talk him down and Danny tried to shoot him! I tried stopping him and the gun went off!”
“I don’t believe you!” Gwen screams, shaking her head harder. “Danny was never suicidal!”
“Then you didn’t know shit about him! Danny was one of the most depressed guys I’d ever met! He tried to numb the pain with booze and drugs and sex! He probably treated you like shit because he hated life and himself and wanted to make everyone else pay for his misery!”
Releasing my secret after all this time creates a sudden, overwhelming feeling of closure. My chest stutters as I pull in a deep breath, holding in the need to cry.
It’s my fault my brother is dead.
Gwen blanches with the harsh truth, her wet eyelashes fluttering. Finally she relaxes, loosening her grip on Evelyn and lowering the gun. Shoulders slumped forward, Gwen bows her head. “Why should I believe you?” she mutters, still crying. Her tear-streaked face tilts upward and she pins me down with a hateful stare. “How do I know you didn’t kill him on purpose?”
“Because he was my brother and I loved him.”
I meet Evelyn’s gaze to find her calm, though still pleading for me with her eyes. A sharp pang pierces my heart when I remember the first time our eyes met at Leona’s. The urge to take her in my arms creates a tight band inside my chest. Satisfied that she’s at least no longer in imminent danger, I flex the muscles in my jaw and take a deep breath before swinging my gaze back to Gwen.
“I shouldn’t have tried stopping him. Danny would still be alive if I had just let him kill our father. He was already sick with cancer by that point. The cold son of a bitch deserved to die. I had to fucking beg him to help me come here to talk Danny down.”
Still scowling, Gwen nods. “He told me the truth about you two not long before he disappeared. He was jealous you were the one his dad chose to raise while he pretended like Danny didn’t exist.”
“He didn’t miss out on anything,” I growl. “Our father was a Grade A asshole. The world’s a better place without him.”
“I don’t believe you,” she says, her voice becoming tense once again. “If it was an accident, why didn’t you tell anyone? Why keep his death a secret?”
“Because our father was worried the cops would launch this big investigation or that there’d even be a trial. He knew the truth would come out one way or another that Danny was his. He’s the one that decided to throw Danny’s body in the river. He was a selfish son of a bitch, only worried about saving his own ass even though he claimed it was because my mom wasn’t strong enough to survive the truth. He told me a thousand times, ‘trust me, Charlie, it’s better this way for everyone.’ The word ‘trust’ stopped meaning anything to me until after he died. I vowed I’d never make that kind of a mistake again.” My fingers rub at the word inked beneath my shirt. “I was a coward. I never should’ve listened to him. I wanted to tell everyone the truth after my father died but I knew it would break my mom’s heart.”
Locking my eyes on Evelyn's, I’m all at once filled with immeasurable shame. “Ever since I met you, I’ve tried like hell to prove to myself that I’m nothing like either one of them. They both used women for a good time. Danny hated the world and my father was a self-centered asshole. Being with you has made me realize how much I want to change so I don’t end up like either one of them. They both made me think love wasn’t real. That’s why I’ve had such a hard time saying it to you even though I knew it was true. If what I feel for you isn’t love, I don’t know what is.”
Eyes blinking rapidly, Evelyn makes a strangled noise and the ends of her mouth curl with a smile behind the gag.
“I love you, baby,” I say, my voice thick with emotion. “And I always will.”
Gwen releases a low, unamused growl. “This is all fucking sweet, but you still killed him! He was the father of the child I lost two months after Danny went missing! The doctor said my body was under too much distress to carry it to full term! If you hadn’t fought Danny for the gun that night, he’d still be here to take care of me and I wouldn’t have lost our baby! I have to make things right for both of them!”
Everything plays in slow motion, stopping my heart and making it seem like a really bad dream.
Gwen violently jerks Evelyn back up tight against her.
Evelyn makes a horrifying noise behind the gag.
Gwen raises the gun at her side.
I throw myself at Gwen, knocking them both down to the ground.
I fight Gwen for the gun.
A loud shot pierces the quiet night sky.
Then another.
Evelyn’s desperate screams are the last thing I hear.
Chapter 27
EVELYN
For a horrifying moment, I fear Gwen has shot Charlie right through the heart. He recoils hard, falling back onto the pavement and becoming still.
“No!” I scream, crawling over to him.
Gwen grabs my leg and pulls me back. I’m fueled by an adrenaline rush unlike anything I’ve felt before, and turn to punch her in the face. The bones in my hand ache when I retrieve the gun off the ground.
Releasing a primal scream, Gwen lunges at me.
My fingers fumble for the trigger.
I squeeze.
With the loud shot, Gwen’s head lulls backward and a cloud of blood bursts into the air behind her skull. She’s thrown down onto the pavement with her legs bent in an grotesque position at the knees. Her eyes stay on me until her lips part with a last, stuttering breath. A stream of blood rolls down the bullet wound in her forehead, saturating one of her open eyes with red.
I let out an anguished cry. Watching another human being die a brutal death because of something I did is the most horrific, excruciating thing I’ve ever experienced. When my stomach lurches, I decide it’s not something I’ll ever be able to forget.
Dropping the gun, I hurry to Charlie’s side, grabbing his phone from his pocket and dialing 9-1-1. As I apply pressure to the bullet wound in his arm, he moans and begins to move. I cry in relief and press my lips to his forehead.”
“Hang in there, baby,” I say. “I’m calling for help.”
* * *
It seems a lifetime passes by the time I’m done giving my statement to the cops and I’m allowed to leave for the hospital. Charlie was weak from losing blood, but we were able to get our story straight before the cops arrived. The EMT told me it looked like a clean shot and Charlie would likely be fine. It was still hard letting him go in the ambulance while they held me back.
Sharlo is waiting in the ER, having just been released herself with a mild concussion. I spend the better part of an hour on the phone with my dad and Hunter, telling them as close to everything about Charlie as I can. It’s easier to tell them the truth than I thought it would be, probably due to the fact that James isn’t around to listen in. Hunter is vague
about his twin’s whereabouts, only saying, “Trust me, you don’t want to know.”
My dad makes it clear he’s disappointed that I hadn’t said anything before he saw pictures of me and Charlie together on the TV at the barber shop. He also mentions he gave Thrashtag a listen and liked their music. God, my life has become so weird.
The moment I spot Charlie coming down the hallway, wounded arm wrapped in a sling, I’m beside myself with joy, seeing with my own eyes that he’s okay. The bright lights over my head become a colorful blur behind my tears as I run into his open arm. He grunts in pain with the collision of our bodies, but I only hold him tighter. Pressing my wet face against his chest, I let the warmth of his embrace calm my frazzled nerves, slow my racing heart.
We’re both alive.
“I love you so much, baby,” he whispers in a crackled voice. “Please don’t ever leave me like that again.”
Ugh, I had no idea just how badly I yearned to hear those words come out of his mouth. Now that I have him in my arms, I don’t ever want to let go. “I won’t,” I promise.
We both draw back at the same time. Our mouths meet for an epic kiss, igniting a blazing inferno in my belly. To think I almost lost this beautiful man once because I was too stubborn to believe him and the second time because he almost died trying to save my life. The familiar caress of his lips and tongue against mine make my body buzz with pure delight. His hand cradling my back isn’t enough. I want his hands everywhere. Too bad we’re standing just feet away from a room filled with people.
When Charlie pulls away, his eyes are glossy and there’s a sexy-as-hell little smile on his lips. “Damn, Freckles. We should do this kind of thing more often.”
Moaning, I tilt my head to the white ceiling. “Can we please pretend the last forty-eight hours didn’t happen?” I beg, desperately trying to hold back the sob building in my chest. “I should’ve believed you when you said they were lies. If I hadn’t run off like that, none of this would have happened.”
His chest rumbles against mine when he chuckles. “Anything you want.” His mouth presses to the top of my head and his massive arm squeezes around me like a python. “I hope you don’t plan on going anywhere for a while because I won’t be letting you out of my sight. When I heard Gwen took you and she had a gun…shit, baby. I don’t think I can take being that fuckin’ scared ever again.”
Butterflies burst through my chest with the way he looks at me like I’m the only thing that matters in this world.
“Good to see you up and around, brother,” a dark-haired guy says, suddenly right at my side. “Thought I’d be planning a funeral for your sorry ass when you up and left without bothering to mention where you were goin’.”
Charlie collects me under his uninjured arm—thankfully the one with his colorful tattoo sleeve—and laughs. “Sorry I left you behind,” he tells his friend as they slap hands. I feel a sudden pang of empathy knowing Charlie will have to break the news to everyone that Danny’s dead.
“It’s all good,” the friend insists, shaking his head. “Your girl’s roommate is pretty chill.” His dark eyes land on me and a smile creeps over his lips. “Finally I can understand what all the buzz is about. Damn, girl, you make being kidnapped look sexy.” He offers me his hand. “I’m Lorenzo, Charlie’s best man.”
Charlie jabs him in the ribs and they both chuckle as I shake Lorenzo’s hand.
“Evelyn,” I say, eyeing them both suspiciously. “Thank you for taking care of Sharlo.”
Mischief sparks his dark eyes. “Believe me, it was my pleasure.”
Picturing the smooth talker and Sharlo carrying on a conversation has me giggling by the time she joins us. “Lovely to see chivalry is not dead,” she tells Charlie, eyeing his sling. “Better late than never as they say.”
“I see they took good care of your noggin,” Charlie answers, tipping his chin at the bandage wrapped around her head. “Hope nothing too important seeped out.”
Seeing the two of them exchanging playful banter warms my heart. I snuggle into Charlie’s side and sigh, ready for this nightmare of a day to be over. There’s dried blood on my shirt from trying to help Charlie. “Can we please go home now? I’m really looking forward to taking a hot bath.”
“I just happen to have a tub big enough for two,” Charlie whispers in my ear.
“Right then,” Sharlo says, clapping her hands together. Her eyes widen on me. “Off you go then, clean your dirty bits with your prince and I’ll pack a bag with your things. I would guess you’re dying to get back into your own knickers after this weekend.”
My cheeks warm with the memory of the underwear Charlie destroyed at the beach house. “Thanks, Shar,” I say, releasing Charlie to give her a hug. “You don’t think I’m crazy for believing him, do you?” I whisper in her ear.
“Of course not,” she whispers back, patting my backside. “I thought you were nutters for letting what’s clearly the best thing that’s ever happened to you slip between your fingers. Next time you fuck this up I won’t go so easy on your pretty little arse.”
After exchanging goodbyes with our friends, Dante leads us through a back door to where his SUV waits. I snuggle against Charlie the entire ride, nearly falling asleep before we’re outside his brownstone, watching as a horde of photographers come at the vehicle. “Hope you’re ready for this, Freckles,” Charlie grumbles against my ear. “Do me a favor and don’t listen to them this time.”
Taking deep breaths, I’m able to block out the questions thrown at us, not catching much beyond shouts of our names. With Dante’s guidance, we quickly make it past them without any problem. It’s exciting to see his brownstone, knowing that I’ll be spending a lot of time in the posh place, maybe even eventually calling it home.
One day at a time, I remind myself with more deep breaths.
Charlie leads me up a stairway to the largest bathroom I’ve ever set foot in. Covered with slate tile from floor to ceiling, the wide room is lit with recessed lights and trendy pennants, creating a path where the room’s functions split off into two sections. On one side there’s a walk-in closet bigger than my new bedroom, a spacious vanity surrounded by massive mirrors, and a modern toilet behind a pocket door. Across the way, a glass-enclosed shower with dozens of nozzles on both the walls and ceiling accompany a monstrous spa bath taking center stage.
Oh, I could definitely get used to this being my place.
I catch Charlie watching me with an amused smirk when he bends to spin each of the spa’s nozzles.
“What?” I ask defensively, watching as steam fills the room. “It’s perfectly normal for a girl to fall in love with a bathroom considering how much time I’ll be spending in here.”
“That’s not why I’m smiling.” He stalks toward me with lust blazing in his icy blue eyes. “Thought I wouldn’t get the chance to see you in my place again. Seeing you standing here, knowing I get to make love to you in every room for the first time, is the best feeling in the world and I can’t wait to get started.”
“Oh,” I answer, made breathless by the ravenous way he’s looking at me.
He stops when he’s standing a heartbeat away, his chest pressed to mine. His fingers cradle my jaw, allowing his thumbs to trail across my freckled cheeks. I close my eyes and lean into his gentle touch, steadying myself on his wide hips.
“I’m sorry I dragged you through all that shit with Gwen. I know her death won’t be an easy thing to deal with. But I’ll make it up to you somehow. For as long as I’m on this earth, I promise I’ll protect you and take care of you in any way you need.” When I open my eyes, I find his gaze blazing down on me with hot, needy desire. “I never thought I’d be so excited about spending the rest of my life with someone.”
My heart, broken just hours before, melts with the declaration. Just when I think he’s going to take me in his arms for a kiss, he tugs at my decorative tank top. “I’d undress you if it weren’t for my fuckin’ arm. Guess I’m going to be out of commiss
ion for a little while. You’re not gonna like me when I’m unable to blow off steam at the gym.”
“I can think of other ways you can blow off steam,” I say, wiggling my eyebrows before pulling my shirt over my head and dropping my shorts to the tile floor.
“Damn.” His hungry eyes rake over my leopard bra and striped underwear. I hadn’t thought of matching them when getting ready for work the other night and they’re over a day old, but my man doesn’t seem to care. His tongue appears to wet his lips. “Nothing makes me happier than knowing that beautiful body is all mine.”
A blinding need for release surges between my legs. We meet in the middle for a searing kiss, hands wandering, bodies eager. He has just released the clasp on my bra and taken a breast in his mouth when we hear, “Char Char? Where are you? Lo said you would be home from the hospital by now.”
As much as I adore Katie, hearing her voice when I’m anticipating her brother being buried deep inside of me makes me cringe. I cover my chest with my arms, not doubting that she’d be so bold as to walk right in.
“Fuck,” Charlie grunts, pressing his forehead to mine. “Remind me to take her key before she leaves. She’s going to have a million questions.” With another frustrated grunt, he kisses my cheek. “Take your time. It’s going to be awhile.”
Before he leaves me standing in the middle of the room in my underwear, he pauses at the doorway, grinning. With a few flicks of his finger, the lights dim and the spa glows with a blue light. Then the room fills with “Heroes,” one of my favorite David Bowie tunes.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be back,” Charlie promises, tossing me a flirty wink. “No way I’m going to stay away too long knowing the girl I love is naked in my tub. I have big plans for you, Freckles.”
My heart flutters wildly after he leaves.
After countless minutes of soaking in the heavenly tub, my skin has pruned and the voices in the other room haven’t let up. Deciding with a resigned sigh that Charlie’s sister could be here all night, I wrap myself in a fluffy gray towel before wandering into the closet. Even though it’s barely half full, Charlie easily has three times as many clothes as I’ve ever owned. I take my time browsing through the kinds of things my man likes to wear, thrilled to discover that he has great taste. When I come across a few blazers and suits, my insides tingle with the vision of Charlie all decked out.
