Being this close to a similar scene, after all these years, was nearing unbearable.
A hand came over and grabbed my hand. The woman gave a grateful silent whisper. “Thank you. I’ll never tell a soul.”
I squeezed her hand and stood. After all these years maybe this was why I had been spared, to save this woman and her child. Her tearful eyes watched me.
Standing with me, the woman gave me a hug as she spoke, “I needed this sign to stay and fight. I don’t know who you are, but I’ll always think of you as a Guardian Angel.”
There was nothing left to say. She was choosing life. After all this time, the sacrifices kept another child from the grasp of The Society. The woman grabbed her little girl and headed to the parking lot. More tears came down my face as I felt the small victory. There was one more victory to be had as I walked to the car.
Aiden had a look of apprehension on his face. Annalyn was sleeping soundly in the back. I loved my family with my entire soul.
“How’d it go, Kenzie?”
“She’s not going to meet John.” Aiden heaved a sigh of relief while he cranked the car. “But, I want to do something else.”
“What’s that, sweetheart?”
I watched his profile as I spoke, “John will be back here at noon tomorrow. I want to be here and see his face when she doesn’t show up.”
“Why?”
“I need to see it. After all these years we haven’t made any progress. Saving that mother and little girl means that we were able to do something.”
Aiden nodded. “We’ll leave Annalyn with my parents and come back.”
“Thank you. I love you.”
“Forever.”
MY LEGS WERE restless as Aiden and I sat on the picnic table on the edge of the playground. I’d hardly slept as I imagined this moment.
Aiden draped his arms around me in a supportive manner as we waited. At noon, a car pulled up. John emerged from the backseat in the same clothes I remembered the Watchers wearing all those years ago, black pants and white shirts. Time appeared to stand still at The Society. I often wondered how many of the people I knew were still alive and what they were doing.
Approaching the same bench the woman had been at yesterday, John looked at his pocket watch and his brows creased. Today, I won, John. Today, I kept someone from The Society’s grasp. Today, someone was saved. For some reason, I needed to see the victory of them not claiming someone.
I had no doubt that the woman would have been back today if I hadn’t interceded. The Society preyed on women who felt there was nothing left—no hope, no future, nothing. I made a vow to start an organization that helped women, like my mom and the lady I spoke to yesterday. Anything to keep innocent people away from a decision like joining The Society.
I glanced at Aiden and he took a deep breath and watched John with leery eyes. “We’ll keep trying, Kenzie. We’ll never give up trying to expose them for what they did.”
“I know.” My voice was barely above a whisper.
Ten minutes had passed. John stood and looked our way. Our eyes locked and I thought a hint of recognition passed over his face, but I wasn’t sure. I never once wavered as I stared at him and he cocked his head to the side like he was trying to place who I was. The same glint that had been in his father’s eyes shimmered as he keenly watched me, leaving me feeling cold and angry.
Did he recognize me? I wasn’t sure. John’s gaze shifted to Aiden for a second, but then back to me. Without thinking, I took a step forward. Why? I wasn’t sure. With my movement, John turned and quickly jogged away to a waiting car at the edge of the parking lot.
Why was he running? Had he recognized me? I’d been the only one I knew of to escape The Society and live to tell about it. I’d survived them.
John got to the car, but not before he turned back and glanced at me one more time. I took a few more steps toward him, but he hurried into the car, slamming the door. The car sped off. My heart was beating a million miles a second.
Aiden wrapped his arms tightly around me and I felt the support and his silent echo of my vow.
I’d continue to try and expose The Society for what they’d done.
Even as they kept trying to add numbers to their flock . . . I’d be there with my renewed hope . . .
A fire burns.
It consumes.
It's uncontrollable.
It's irrational.
Rage can become just like a fire, clearing all in its path, killing anything that gets in its way. That's what happens to a man when the woman he desires is put in harm's way.
He doesn't care what happens to him. He protects what is his. He doesn't apologize for what he has to do. He strikes without hesitation.
He is Bane Bryant…and he will protect her.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you, to each and every one of you! Without your support, none of this would be possible. Thank you for all the love and friendship. It means more to me than you’ll ever know. Each book I write is a journey I immensely love and I hope you enjoyed this one.
With all my love!
Kristin
I SWIRLED MY red wine in a glass, listening to the happy chatter of the guests at my best friend, Amelia’s, wedding. The newlyweds had left about thirty minutes ago. The entire bridal party had been asked to stay behind so the guests didn’t feel as if the party ended.
It had been a simple but elegant wedding. Tall silver vases with pale-pink cascading flowers were at the center of each table. A petal had fallen down on the silver tablecloth and my fingers caressed it, feeling the softness.
I secretly wished to have something like this one day, but more intimate. Today, I had been the maid of honor. Always a bridesmaid, never a bride. That was me. Oh, I was in a relationship, a long-term relationship actually, but there were no wedding bells in my future.
My boyfriend of five years, Harris Huntington the Third, didn’t believe in marriage—at least that seemed to be his outlook now. When Harris and I first met, I had envisioned a different future for us, but as the days came and went—I knew that future was but a dim dream. I loved him, I really thought I did, and that’s why it was hard to walk away.
I was a hopeless romantic. I hoped Harris would walk through the doors of our condo in Manhattan and realize there was more to life than making more money. With the death of his father, Harris had inherited a business empire that had changed him—changed us. It wasn’t a quick change, but a slow erosion that I had begun to notice over the last year.
Forever the eternal optimist, I hoped Harris would come back to me.
While the red liquid made its rotations around the glass, I watched the residue slowly come down the side wall.
Why wasn’t I able to find the love we saw in fairy tales? Everyone I loved eventually left me.
I was alone at this event as Harris had a business dinner that he thought was more important. I sat in a corner, waiting to make my escape at the first acceptable moment.
A slow song came on and bodies moved closer together under the twinkle lights of the dance floor. I sighed to myself. Seeing all this made my heart hurt, knowing I was missing out on this type of love. I wanted to feel those butterflies and undeniable attraction to someone.
Part of me was scared to move on from Harris. That’s why I held on to hope. Maybe, just maybe, Harris and I would be able to find our way back to each other.
The twinkle lights of the dance floor gave a romantic feel as the glow illuminated the embraced couples. Bodies swayed back and forth. I imagined Harris and me out there, holding each other in a blissful love like we used to. Those days seemed but a distant memory. Being given the sign from the wedding coordinator that I could leave, I gathered my things to make my way toward the parking lot. The night was unseasonably cool since fall had set in. My purple chiffon dress didn’t provide much warmth against the occasional wind gust.
To the right, I heard some giggling and quickly glanced over. There was a couple all over e
ach other as they fumbled for the handle on the back right passenger door of a car. It was hard to pull my eyes away, seeing the need those two had for each other. Hell, when is the last time I had even had an orgasm? The truth was, it had been longer than I wanted to admit. As of late, Harris was too time-constrained to give my body the attention it needed. So, I faked that blissful euphoria I loved. Before all of the money had come into our lives, that couple scrambling to get in the car would have been Harris and I as the need to have each other consumed any rational thought.
Driving out of the parking lot, I looked at the time and saw it was approaching nine PM. My Aunt Leelyn, who raised me, would be going to bed any minute. There wasn’t a night that we didn’t say goodnight to each other, even if it was simply a two-minute phone call. Connecting the Bluetooth, I dialed her number.
“Hello,” she answered. I loved Aunt Leelyn’s sweet voice.
“Hey, there. I’m leaving the wedding, but wanted to call and wish you goodnight.”
A yawn came through on the other end as my sixty-two-year-old aunt fought the sandman. “Night, sweetheart. Did it go okay without Harris?”
“It did. I missed him.” The phone was silent on the other end. I knew Aunt Leelyn didn’t approve of the new version of Harris, but she didn’t get involved. I continued on, “Tomorrow night I have a dinner with Harris. So I’ll call you earlier in the evening before we leave.”
“Sounds good, Ashlin. Night, love you.”
“Love you too, Aunt Leelyn.”
We hung up the phone as I continued to make my way back into the city. Aunt Leelyn had always been there for me. My mother and father had been magicians. During one of the water acts that consisted of my mother being shackled and tied underwater while my father hung upside down in a straightjacket, my mother had died.
The straightjacket had been put on wrong and the fail-safe was broken. My mom drowned looking up at my dad. They had been each other’s world.
Two months after Mom’s death, Dad killed himself with a bullet to the head. I still remember sitting at the window, watching the firework show at our neighbor’s house on Fourth of July. Amidst all the noise, a loud bang echoed through the house that wasn’t a firework.
Bang.
The memory of the sound still brought an involuntary shudder to my body. A tear slipped down my cheek as the memory momentarily escaped the vault I tried to keep it in.
Running down the hall, I found my dad lying on the floor—lifeless. Blood pooled around him as the firecrackers continued to go off across the street.
Bang.
Bang.
Bang.
To this day, I hated fireworks.
The suicide note said, I miss my love. Leelyn, please take care of Ashlin. I still wondered why my dad hadn’t thought I was enough to stick around for. If only I could find someone who thought I was enough.
Parking in my designated parking spot in the garage of our building, I got out and hit the button on my car remote. The lights flashed as I made my way to the elevator.
The garage elevator attendant, Joe, greeted me, wearing his normal black business suit attire. “Evening, Miss Thomas.”
“Evening, Joe. How was your day?”
He hit the top floor button. “It was very nice, Miss Thomas. Mr. Huntington arrived about twenty minutes ago. How was your evening?”
I gave a slight nod and a tired smile. “It was good.”
I caught a glimpse of myself in the side wall mirror of the elevator. My long golden-blonde hair was done up on my head and my teal eyes looked tired and slightly lost. Even I could see the sadness emanating from my slim-average-height figure. I looked at the floor unable to gaze back at the person I saw a moment ago. Did I look this unhappy all the time? I hoped not. The elevator came to a halt on our floor.
“Night, Joe.”
“Night, Miss Thomas.”
Walking out of the elevator, I entered the foyer that led to the front door. Taking a deep breath, I unlocked the door. Stepping across the threshold, the dread I always felt returned—this wasn’t home still after a year.
We lived on the top floor of a building in Manhattan. The only thing beautiful about this place was the view. Everything else, except my office, was cold and depressing. The walls were done in steel-gray with black furniture that felt like you were sitting on concrete. Supposedly, that was elegant and classy for the type of people we entertained here from time to time, per Harris’ mother. I disagreed. Slipping off my heels, I followed the low classical melody that came from the living room. I stopped at the entrance and leaned against the column, watching Harris looking out into the city.
He was in lounge pants and a T-shirt, which was a rare sight these days. Normally, he stayed in his business slacks and dress shirt until bedtime. As I stood there watching, Harris ran his hands through his messy coal-black hair and sighed heavily. I knew his piercing blue eyes probably looked lost and abandoned by his stance.
Quietly, my feet padded over to where Harris stood and I wrapped my hands around his firm middle. Harris got up at four every morning to work out. His body showed the dedication.
Kissing his shoulder, I spoke, “Hey, there. I missed you tonight. Amelia and Steven are on their way to Barbados. It was beautiful. They wished you could have made it, but understood why you weren’t able to.”
I nuzzled my face into his back and took in his scent. Since Harris had made it big financially, or rather inherited it, he had changed his more subtle smell to something spicier. I preferred the old cologne. His hands came to rest on top of mine and my heart swelled at the tender moment. They were few and far between. This moment right here was why I kept holding on to the thought that Harris would come back to me.
Harris dropped his hands. “I needed you with me tonight. I was the only man there without his significant other. I looked like a fool. This was important to me, Ashlin.”
I dropped my hands and took a step back as my heart lost the warmth it felt and splintered instead. “Amelia and Steven used to be your friends, too. Or have you forgotten everything that happened before a year ago? Did you think that maybe it was important for you to be with me? Or how foolish I looked that my boyfriend of five years, who supposedly adores me, chose a business dinner over me?”
Harris turned and the irritation was evident. His piercing blue eyes were angry. “I don’t want to go over this again. You know I spend all day working so you can have the best of everything. This is always about you. Do you not appreciate what I sacrifice to give you all of this?” Harris’ hand swept across the room.
“I wish we didn’t have all of this. I wish we could go back to before the money. We were happy and got by fine. When was the last time we laughed? Hell, when was the last time we made love? When was the last time you said you loved me?” Harris stood there staring at me. I couldn’t take it anymore. “I’m going to work in my office. Don’t wait up for me. Not that you would.”
I turned and walked out of the room. His voice stopped me and I hoped he would ask me to stay and talk things out. “I need you tomorrow for the dinner. Those other bastards are bringing their girlfriends and I need you to show them up.”
A lone tear fell down my face. “I’m not your arm candy, Harris. Don’t treat me like it. I said I would go and I will, but you and I are going to need to have a serious talk afterward.”
Harris didn’t respond. Without looking back, I trudged down the hall to my office. The walls were different shades of warm-blue, which helped soothe me. As of late, I had been falling asleep more in my office than in our bedroom. There was a chest for my manuals and office supplies. Recently, I’d cleaned out a drawer to keep some of my pajamas in, too. I angrily snatched a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt and hastily put them on. I was miserable in this relationship. I would get through tomorrow’s dinner, then Harris and I were going to put it all out on the table. After tomorrow, I assumed I’d be looking for a new place to live. If I needed to go to Amelia’s while they were aw
ay on their honeymoon, I knew I’d be able to. I sat on the couch and brought the afghan over me. Eventually, exhaustion took me.
My body jostled and I knew Harris was carrying me by the feel of his embrace. I kept my eyes closed, not wanting to fight again. He laid me down in our bed as I felt the soft mattress surround me.
“Ashlin, are you awake?”
I didn’t move and his thumb came up and caressed my cheek. “Ashlin, I do love you. I feel myself changing and I can’t stop it. I crave the power and I want more. But I want you, too. I can’t let you go and I won’t. I want it all. Don’t ask me to give up anything. I’m keeping you, Ashlin. I won’t let anyone else have you. This isn’t a battle you’re going to win. We were meant to be together.”
Harris gave me a kiss on the forehead as I kept my breathing even. I didn’t think he thought I was awake since he hardly ever let me see the tender side of him anymore. My heart raced when he pushed off the mattress. Next, I heard him leave the room.
When the door closed, the tears started free falling down my face. Somewhere beneath his new demeanor was the Harris I knew and had fallen in love with, but he was lost. I wasn’t sure if the old Harris could be saved, or that he wanted to even be found. Change was a scary thing and I knew I was on the brink of being forced to make a decision for my own sanity.
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