True Colors (book #1, The Masks Series)

by Melissa Pearl

  I wailed as I scrambled away from him and tried to find a steady rhythm again, but before I could really get started, his arms were around my waist and he pulled me to the ground. I landed with a thud, sand shooting up my nose and into my mouth. I spat it out as Mason flipped me over and drove a punch into my left cheek.

  Pain shot through my head and I cried out.

  “You stubborn bitch. Give me that damn stick!”

  His hand came around my throat, his thumb pinching into the side of my neck as he pressed his weight down on me. My air supply cut off immediately and the edges of my vision turned blurry as Mason’s free hand roamed my body, no doubt hunting for the memory stick. I wriggled beneath him, trying to buck him off, but my limbs were growing weaker by the second.

  As my world grew black, I was faced with the reality that my life was about to end. Oddly enough, my first thought was that I had let the strange, homeless man down. I knew he never should have picked me. Regret made me want to fight back, but it was too late. I didn’t have the energy for fight or flight.

  I was done.

  And then everything changed. Mason’s weight lifted off me in an instance. My body spasmed with coughs as I rolled to my side and fought for air. Peeking my eyes open, I spotted the reason for my sudden release.

  Eric.

  He had thrown Mason off me and was now diving after him, pushing him to the ground and pummelling him with his rage-infused fists.

  Mason fought back, slapping at Eric and trying to get a punch in, but it was pointless, Eric was in full control and he wasn’t giving Mason an inch.

  “Eric.” I coughed again, holding my aching throat. “Eric, stop! You’ll kill him!” It’s not that I wasn’t tempted to let Mason die, but I didn’t want Eric saddled with a murder charge.

  I crawled across the sand with the intent of pulling Eric off Mason, but he had obviously heard my weak warning.

  He grabbed Mason’s shirt and yanked him up. Blood was streaming from the lean guy’s face, his nose looked crooked and his blue eyes were glazed. He seemed small and pathetic next to Eric. I peeled off his mask as Eric gripped him with shaking limbs that were only just in control. He was terrified of my Hercules and he should be.

  I didn’t need to read Eric to see his rage. It was pulsing out of him as he whispered between clenched teeth, “If you ever hurt my girl again, I’m going to kill you.”

  With his mask off, I saw straight through Mason’s nonplussed glare. Eric shoved him away. Mason stumbled to the ground and glanced at me one last time before scrambling across the sand and racing back to his car.

  “He believed you.”

  “That’s because I meant it.”

  I tried not to let Eric’s tight voice unnerve me as I stood from the sand on shaky legs, watching Mason trip and stumble to his car. My gaze then drifted to Eric who was turning towards me, his expression stone cold.

  I didn’t know what to say to him. He looked pissed. Crossing my arms, I dropped my gaze to the sand, breathing through my nose in an attempt to rein in my spasming stomach. Sobs were itching to break free. I blinked at tears and finally looked back up at him.

  His expression had softened a little. “Come here,” he whispered.

  I gratefully stepped towards him, hoping for a warm embrace. Instead he held me at arm’s length, inspecting my neck. His brow creased with concern as he gently ran his thumb over my tender flesh. His expression buckled as he touched my bruised cheek. “You promised me you’d stay out of trouble.”

  “I had to go and help Micah and Indie, I couldn’t just leave them.”

  He scowled.

  “I called you. You didn’t answer,” I ended with a mumble.

  “Which is why I called you back as soon as I heard your message. And what do you do?” He threw his hands in the air. “You hung up on me.”

  I was beginning to think that pissed was an understatement. He looked livid. I couldn't help reading him and saw that it was just fear talking, but it didn’t make any difference. His fear was being manifested as anger and there wasn’t much I could do about it.

  “I didn’t want anyone to hear the phone,” I muttered, knowing instantly it was the wrong thing to say. Eric’s pointed glare screamed the obvious. I was sneaking into a situation that in my gut I knew was dangerous. I should have stepped outside and taken the call...or at least called him back. I should have waited for him.

  But it was too late now. I couldn’t change the past. “I’m sorry,” I whispered.

  He shook his head and looked away, making the silence between us awkward and deafening.

  Finally, I sighed and rubbed my forehead. “Can you drive me to the hospital, please? I want to check up on Micah.”

  Eric’s concerned gaze shot to me. “Is he okay?”

  “He got...” I swallowed, hating the truth and the fact that I had to tell it. “Shot.” The word barely made it out of my mouth. It was so small and tiny, but Eric still heard it. His skin blanched, his usually calm gaze going wild for a moment.

  “Who had the gun?”

  “Liam. I...I managed to talk it out of his hands. We were safe. It was okay.”

  “Safe?” Eric scoffed. “Yeah, sounds really safe, Caitlyn!” He spun away and started walking for his car.

  “Please don’t be mad with me.” I chased after him, grabbing his arm.

  He jerked to a stop and glared down at me. His stance was intimidating and flaring with anger, but his expression was rippling with anguish.

  “You don’t get it.” He shook his head. “You have no idea how much I’ve come to care for you in such a short space of time. Do you have any idea how much that freaks the hell out of me?” He ran a hand through his hair, licking his bottom lip. He breathed a couple of times, obviously wrestling with his surging emotions, trying to bring them into check. “I nearly lost you today. If I’d been five minutes later, Caity.” His hazel eyes caught me and I couldn’t look away. I just had to stare into his troubled gaze. Tears glistened in my eyes as he kept going. “What if I hadn’t cleared your message straight away? What if I hadn’t seen Stella as I drove past school and demanded to know where Indie’s house was? What if she hadn’t told me? What if I hadn’t seen you running for your life along the beach? What if I’d driven here another way?”

  “But you didn’t.” I interrupted before he could come up with another what if. They were killing me.

  He shook his head. “I don’t think you appreciate how close you came to dying today.” His annoyed look returned as he glanced over his shoulder at our cars. “Come on, I’ll take you to the hospital.”

  He didn’t reach for my hand, just strode across the sand ahead of me. I crossed my arms and scurried after him, feeling like I’d just run a marathon and crossed the line with nothing to show for it. I gripped my arms in an attempt to stop the shaking and ward off the feeling of desolation.

  Chapter 31

  Eric fixed my car in silence. I hovered behind him as he plugged something back in, then wiped his hands on his butt and closed the hood.

  “He just disconnected your spark plugs.”

  “How do you know stuff about cars?”

  Eric squinted against the sun, avoiding eye contact. “I don’t know that much. Gramps just taught me a few basics.”

  “Do you think Mason disabled it before coming up to the house?”

  “That’s my guess. He obviously recognized your car and planned to catch you here.” Eric swallowed and swiped a hand under his nose. With a sniff, he flicked his head towards his car. “I’ll follow you to the hospital.”

  “Okay.” I wanted to reach out and touch him, make some kind of connection, but he strode towards his car before I could. Fighting tears, I started the engine and backed out of the small parking lot.

  Fifteen minutes later we were pulling into the nearest hospital. Eric took my hand as we walked towards the emergency room, but there was no warmth in his touch. I hated it. He was there, but he wasn’t, and all I wanted to
do was fall into his arms and cry like a little girl who’d scraped her knee.

  In spite of the fact I’d just survived death and still had protective evidence in my pocket, I felt like my world was about to shatter into a thousand tiny pieces. And it had nothing to do with Indie or Liam, and everything to do with the guy holding my hand, but not looking at me.

  Eric had to ask three different nurses before we found the others. Libby was on the phone in tears. I picked up two sentences of her conversation and realized she was talking to her mom. I gave her a weak smile, which she returned before pointing to a blue pulled curtain to my right.

  I crept towards it and was about to pull it back when Indie’s willowy voice stopped me.

  “Are you sure you’re going to be okay?”

  “I’ll be fine. It’s just a scratch.” I peeked around the curtain and saw Micah gather her fingers into his. His head was neatly bandaged and I spied a white patch of gauze through his ripped jeans.

  Micah’s large, dark thumb rubbed over Indie’s white hand. The contrast of their skin was stunning next to each other. They were a beautiful couple. I knew most would think it too soon to assume such a thing, but I could see behind their masks and in their hearts they already belonged together. Micah confirmed my thinking when a soft smile pushed at his lips. “You don’t have to be afraid anymore, Indie. I won’t let Liam near you again.” He ran his finger along her hairline, freeing her face from a few loose strands.

  She gave him a shaky grin. “I know.” Then she nibbled her lip, looking nervous. “Thank you for being there for me.”

  “I always have.”

  Her smile grew. “I know.”

  “I should have stepped up sooner.” His lips pinched into a tight line of regret.

  “I should have let you.” She squeezed his hand. “I used to daydream that you would come and rescue me...and you’d carry me away to safety.” Their eyes locked in an intense gaze and her pale orbs were practically glowing when she whispered, “I still remember the day you walked into school for the first time. You were so tall and strong and intimidating, but there was something about you. You gave me this small smile. Not on your lips, it was in your eyes and I knew straight away.”

  “Knew what?”

  She shrugged, her face blooming with color. “That I was going to fall in love with you.”

  His white teeth appeared, unable to hide behind the beaming grin on his face. “Me too.” He chuckled. “I never believed in love at first sight. Thought it was bullshit...until the day I saw you, Indie.”

  She reached for his face, placing her small white hand on his cheek and running her thumb over his big lips. I held my breath, unable to look away as she leaned towards him and gave him the sweetest kiss I'd ever seen. Blinking at tears, I pulled back and turned to face Eric. But he wasn’t behind me. He had moved to stand by Libby who was now off the phone and explaining everything to him in a flurry of hand movements. His expression was dark yet filled with concern.

  I stepped towards them to hear what Libby was saying.

  “So, Mom’s calling the police and Micah’s parents for me, and they’re gonna meet us here.” Libby sniffed. I whipped off her mask and saw a surprising strength beneath the surface. In spite of her quivers and the wobble in her voice, she was determined to bring the Donovan boys to justice.

  Eric nodded at her. “Do you think the files will be enough?”

  “Indie told me on the way here that there are more than just files in that folder. It’s got photos of some things they’ve done to us.” Libby blinked. “Video footage of one of my friends getting beaten and another girl who was forced to...” she swallowed. “They recorded it. They used it to keep them in line and warn the rest of us.” She looked to the ground, ashamed.

  I touched Libby’s shoulder. “You have nothing to be ashamed of. You were the victim here. It’s guys like Liam and Mason and Carter who have to go down for this.” Libby looked at me, surprised that I’d read her so well. Eric gave me a look that told me we weren’t seeing the same thing on Libby’s face. I popped her mask back on and forced a smile. “You’re brave and your actions today will put an end to this.”

  “I should have spoken out weeks ago. I could have saved Indie and others so much pain if I’d just had the courage to say something.”

  I squeezed her shoulder. “You had the courage to act today and it’s not too late. Indie and Micah are...” I grinned. “They’re gonna be fine. And so will everyone else.” I dug the memory stick from my pocket and passed it to her.

  She took it with a relieved smile. “I’m going to see Mr. Van der Belt tonight.”

  “Do you want me to come?” I hoped she’d say no. I so didn’t think I could cope.

  “No, it’s okay. Mom and Dad are both coming with me. I told her enough on the phone. She’s a counsellor. She’s good with handling this kind of thing.” Libby looked to the floor.

  “So all we need to figure out now is what to do with Indie.” I sighed.

  “She can’t go back home.” Libby shook her head.

  “Most definitely.” Eric crossed his arms. I couldn’t help thinking how sweet it was that Eric had stepped up, introduced himself to Libby, and slotted himself into the situation. His forthright behavior provided a sense of safety, even in spite of his terse tone. “We don’t know if those guys will retaliate.”

  “They won’t.” I looked up at him. “You should have seen the look on his face after you threatened him. He was petrified, Eric.”

  “Threatened?” Libby frowned and, as if seeing me for the first time, her eyes went wide. “Did Liam hurt you? Did he find you in the house?”

  “No.” I bit my bottom lip. “I ran into Mason down by my car. Eric arrived just in time.” I touched my throat.

  “Oh my gosh.” Libby’s breaths went all quivery.

  “It’s okay, Libby. I’m alright, everything’s fine.”

  “We shouldn’t have left you.” She touched her forehead, looking ready to break down.

  “Libby.” I shook her shoulder. “It’s over. I’m fine and he’s not going to touch me again. Mason Donovan might be a psycho, but he’s just as scared as his brother of being caught. I think the Donovan boys have gone into hiding. We won’t be seeing them again.”

  “You might think that, but you don’t know that for sure.” Eric’s jaw clenched.

  I turned from his anger and focused back on Libby. “Indie can come home with me.”

  “No way.” Eric voice was steely. “Your parents are in Hawaii. You girls are not going back to stay in an empty house.”

  “Indie needs to be somewhere that she feels safe. Staying with strangers is not going to provide that for her.”

  “Staying in an empty house with you isn’t either.”

  I let out a frustrated sigh. “Fine, what would you have us do then?”

  Shoving his hands in his pockets, he drew in what I could only assume was a calming breath. “Go and stay with someone?”

  “Like you?”

  “No, you’re right about Indie staying with a strange guy. She’s never even met me. And besides, I wouldn’t willingly inflict my mother on anybody.” He frowned. “I think you should call your brother.”

  My nose wrinkled before I could stop it. "He’s still a stranger to Indie.”

  “With a family and wife and young kids who present no threat to her.”

  “I don’t want to stay at his place.”

  “Call your sister then.”

  I made a face. “I’d rather deal with an irritated Seth in a pristine house than a clucking Layla in her chaos.”

  “Whatever. Just call one of them.” He pulled out his phone and passed it to me. I hated the cold, indifferent expression on his face. Unfriendly Eric was back in town and I dreaded what that meant for me. I tentatively took the phone and walked away from them, reluctantly dialing Seth’s number.

  To say he was shocked by my revelation was an understatement. Much to his credit, he did list
en without interrupting too many times and even agreed to let me take Indie home to my place. He’d bring Julia and the girls to stay with me until Mom and Dad got back. Oh joy! I hung up the phone battling a mixture of relief, exhaustion, and dread.

  The dread part was winning and I stayed in my private corner for a second to gather myself. Seth agreed to come to my place, but on the condition that I called Mom and Dad. He also said Indie could stay with us as long as she needed, on the condition that she call her dad. She wouldn’t want to. I knew this already and I shuddered at the thought of having to tell her.

  But selfishly, the thing I was dreading most about my immediate future was facing Eric again. I had crossed a line, broken my promise to stay safe and I think it was the end of us. Something so sweet and amazing which had only just begun was about to end and there was nothing I could do about it.

  Chapter 32

  Eric walked Indie and I out to my car shortly after Micah’s parents arrived. The police hadn’t shown up yet, but after Indie was checked out by a doctor and deemed fit for release, Libby and Micah sent us on our way, saying they’d send the police over to us if they wanted to talk.

  We walked to the car in somber silence. This day was far from over.

  Eric followed us back to my place, but didn’t stick around. Julia’s car was already in the drive when I pulled up in my Mini. Eric didn’t even get out of his car, he just put down the window and told me he’d give me a call later. I waved goodbye in stunted silence, fighting off tears as if my life depended on it.

  Indie gave me a sympathetic smile. “Your boyfriend?”

  “I’m not sure.” I shrugged, my eyes glistening. This just made her eyes well and soon both our lips were wobbling. I stepped around the car and drew her into my arms, careful not to squeeze her too tight. We spent the next few minutes softly crying into each other’s shoulders.

  Seth pulled up and ushered us inside. He was soft and sweet with Indie, using his calm, gentle, fatherly voice. Julia, who is pure gold, hugged us both tightly, making Indie yelp. She took one peek down the back of Indie's dress and ordered her up to the bath. The anguished look she shot me was telling. She would care for Indie as if she were her own daughter; that much was obvious. She’d already set up a spare mattress on the floor in my room, assuming Indie would want the company throughout the night.