Red Hot Bikers, Rock Stars and Bad Boys

by Cassia Leo

  She laughed. “Really?”

  “Really.”

  She kissed him again, and everything felt right, like the universe was realigning, like things were finally clicking back into place. The dark times were over. She and Heath would be together, and they’d finally be happy. After all this time, everything would sort itself out right. “Yes, I’ll go with you. Of course I will.”

  He closed his eyes, sighed in relief and happiness. “Thank god.”

  And their lips met again, slower this time. They explored each other’s mouths, sweet and slippery and soft, and she felt the bonds that tied them together again, so strong. Impossible to break.

  “Only,” she said, “I sort of got married.”

  He pulled her covers aside. “Doesn’t matter. You’ll get divorced.”

  “And I’m not supposed to walk around a lot because I might lose the baby.”

  “I’ll carry you.” His arms went under her knees.

  “I’m kind of heavy right now.”

  He picked her up anyway. He gave her a strained smile. “So you are.”

  She laughed. “Put me down. I can walk to the car.”

  “There’s a storm out there,” he said. “And there’s a lot of rain. Plus I parked the car down the road so no one would see it.” He put her down. “I’ll bring the car up. And then I’ll come back for you.”

  “I’ll meet you at the front door,” she said.

  “Does that mean there’s going to be messy confrontations?” said Heath.

  She shook her head. “Eli has a class. He’s not home yet. And his parents will probably be glad to be rid of me.”

  Heath took a deep breath. “You know I could give a flying fuck about Eli. But I know you care about him. So… do you need to say goodbye to him?”

  She swallowed. “Yes. But not now. And… it’s like you said before. It’s his baby. He’s going to be part of our lives.”

  Heath grimaced. “That’s true.” Then he brightened. “But if it means I get you, then I’m willing to handle it.”

  “Get the car,” she said.

  He kissed her again—a brief, bright bit of bliss. And then he was gone.

  Cathy waddled around the room, packing herself a bag of some clothing. She didn’t want to leave completely unprepared.

  She didn’t make it too heavy, however, because she wasn’t supposed to lift heavy things or strain herself too much. And she’d been on bed rest for so long that she wasn’t strong anymore.

  She took her light bag and went to the front door of the house.

  No one was there.

  Good.

  She could hear Mr. and Mrs. Linton in the den. They were watching America’s Most Wanted.

  Cathy leaned against the wall and looked out the window in the door. It was raining really hard outside. She could see that the trees were being blown this way and that, bending over like old ladies. She bit her lip.

  Was this a good time to be driving?

  “What are you doing up?”

  Cathy jumped, startled. “Oh. Isabella, it’s you.”

  Isabella was standing across the foyer. She looked sullen and tired, the way she usually did. She was also putting on weight. It wasn’t that much, and Isabella had always been thin before, but Cathy had noticed.

  “Why do you have a bag? Are you going somewhere?”

  Cathy sighed. “Oh, Isabella, I don’t know how to tell you. I’m leaving. Heath is here and we’re going—”

  “Heath?” Isabella’s voice broke. “You’re going with Heath?”

  “I… I love him. I always have. And I couldn’t admit to myself how badly I needed him for so long. I’m so sorry. I know I shouldn’t just… go, but—”

  “Heath is here?” Isabella darted forward, looking out the window.

  “Yes.” Cathy twisted her hands together. “I was going to call Eli. I know I owe him more, but—”

  “Oh, you’re such a selfish bitch,” snapped Isabella. “I don’t care about you, and I don’t care about Eli. You can both go to hell for all I care. And Heath… I want to kill him. I want to wrap my hands around his neck and squeeze until he stops breathing.”

  Cathy furrowed her brow. “Isabella—”

  “He hit me, did you forget that? Your knight in shining armor is violent and scary. His idea of fun is hurting people.”

  “He doesn’t hurt me,” said Cathy. “And he only did those things because we were apart. When we’re together, everything will be okay. He’s the other part of me, Isabella. He makes me complete. I need him.”

  “What about what I need?” said Isabella. “You’ll leave, and Eli will be so upset. And who will take care of me? Who’s going to help me? You’ll have Heath, but I’ll be alone.”

  “No, I’ll still be… Isabella, we can be friends, even if Eli doesn’t want to see me. You and I—”

  “I’ll be alone,” said Isabella. “With this.” She pulled up her shirt.

  Cathy gulped.

  The door opened.

  A gust of wind blew in several dead, sodden leaves. Heath stumbled inside. He shut the door.

  Cathy covered her mouth with one hand.

  Isabella turned on Heath, her eyes flashing.

  And Heath gaped at her.

  “Hi,” said Isabella. She ran her fingers over her swollen stomach.

  “Shit,” said Heath.

  Isabella leaped onto Heath, pummeling him with clenched fists. “You bastard. You fucking bastard.” She was crying.

  Cathy pulled at Isabella. “Stop. Stop, we’ll figure this out.”

  Isabella hit Cathy in the face.

  Cathy cried out and backed away.

  Heath grabbed Isabella’s wrists. “Don’t hurt her.”

  Isabella laughed at him. “Oh, of course, you only care about her. You did this to me to make her jealous. That’s what you said.”

  Heath’s face twisted. “I’m sorry. I wish it had never happened.”

  “Gee, thanks,” said Isabella. Her whole body sagged.

  He let go of her wrists. “I’m sorry.”

  Isabella looked at Cathy. “Are you jealous? Because I would hate for all of this to have happened to me for no reason.”

  Cathy didn’t know what to say. Isabella was pregnant with Heath’s baby. It was awful. But was she jealous? She wasn’t sure. She only knew that everything was screwed up, and that it was somehow all her fault. She’s started all of this by getting involved with Eli in the first place. It was because of her that all of them were so entwined.

  Cathy touched Heath’s arm. “Let’s go.”

  Heath gestured at Isabella. “But… she…”

  “Yes, she’s pregnant. She’ll still be pregnant after we get out of here and get a chance to regroup. And you’ll help her. You’ll be there. And we’ll all… work this out. But let’s go, now. Because I don’t want to be here anymore.”

  Heath looked back at Isabella. “Isabella, I’m sorry—”

  “Fuck you,” she said. “Fuck you both.” She threw open the door and ran outside into the rain.

  Heath grabbed Cathy by the hand and dragged her out too.

  “Isabella, wait!” Heath called.

  But she was running, disappearing into the storm.

  Cathy huddled close to Heath. The rain was cold and wet, and it was blowing in her face. “Leave her. Let’s go.”

  He wrapped his arm around her.

  *

  Heath drove. The windshield wipers beat out an insistent rhythm, but it was still tough to see. Rain pelted the car in sheets, and the wind whipped at the car, making it hard to steer.

  Isabella was pregnant.

  He didn’t like to think about having sex with Isabella. It was that disgusting thing he’d done.

  Well, that thing he’d done—the thing that made him sick, the thing he was the most sorry for doing—was now memorialized with living consequences, ensuring he’d never be able to forget it.

  Irrationally, he felt angry with her. Why
had she stayed pregnant? She clearly didn’t want the baby. She should have gotten rid of it. He would have helped her with that. Of course, she hadn’t known where he was. It wasn’t really her fault.

  Except that she was stupid. And shallow. And the most frustrating girl in the history of stupid girls.

  Goddamn her.

  “I don’t know why she didn’t say anything,” said Cathy. “Maybe she was afraid of her parents. They weren’t very happy with Eli and me.”

  No. Cathy didn’t need to do that. She didn’t need to say things that might make him feel sorry for Isabella. He was doing his best to hate her, to make all of it her fault.

  “Heath?”

  “What?” His voice came out harsher than he meant it to.

  “Why did you hit her?”

  “I told her to leave, and she wouldn’t,” he said. “I warned her. I told her I’d hit her if she didn’t go.”

  “You shouldn’t have done that.”

  “There’s a lot of things I shouldn’t have done.”

  She was quiet for a minute. “Heath, I want you to tell me something, and I want you to be honest.”

  “Okay,” he said.

  “Were you planning to kill Daddy? Were you waiting to get revenge on him for what he did to Mama?”

  He turned to look at her. Why was she asking this? “Of course not.”

  “You swear?”

  “I swear.” He turned back to the road.

  There was a loud cracking noise, followed by the sight of a huge tree falling in the road in front of them.

  Heath slammed on the brakes.

  The car skidded, turning sideways, tilting up on two wheels.

  For a breathless second, Heath was afraid that the car was going to tip over. But it didn’t.

  Instead, it came to a stop, throwing him against the steering wheel and Cathy into the windshield.

  Her head cracked against it, and it came back bloody.

  God damn it. Why hadn’t he made her wear a seat belt?

  He put the car in park. “Cathy?”

  “I’m okay.” She leaned back, wincing. She touched her head. “Ow.”

  He found a napkin on the floor and pressed it against the blood. “Hold that there.”

  “Heath, I don’t think it’s bad.”

  “You sure?”

  She nodded.

  He got out of the car, back into the rain, and went forward to inspect the tree.

  It was huge. There was no way he was getting past it on the road. It covered both lanes. The terrain on either side was all woods, so there was no getting around it either.

  Heath kicked the tree trunk. “Fuck.”

  He went back to the car. “Is there another way out of here? That tree’s not going anywhere.”

  “No,” said Cathy. “This road dead ends at the Linton’s house.”

  He dragged a hand over his face. “Then we’re trapped.”

  Cathy touched her stomach. “Something’s not right.”

  “What?” He looked at her, concerned.

  Abruptly, she threw her head back, screaming in pain.

  “Cathy?”

  She panted. “It’s the baby. I think maybe the accident knocked something—” She screamed again.

  Heath felt panic shoot through him. “Cathy, you can’t do this right now. We’re trapped behind this fallen down tree.”

  She let out another bloodcurdling yell.

  Fuck. This was bad. This was very bad.

  ***

  2013

  Heath flung open the door to Thera’s room. “Hello, Catherine.” He was holding a gun. A pistol. It was dangling from his right hand. He wasn’t pointing it at her, but he wasn’t making any attempt to hide it.

  She shrank backwards on the bed. This was it. He was going to kill her.

  “Stop sniveling,” Heath said. “Get up. Off the bed.”

  Her whole body shaking, she did as she was told. As she got closer to Heath, she realized he was dirty. His clothes were covered in mud, as were his hands. There were dark streaks on his face. His hair hung in tangles. He looked demented.

  She stifled a cry.

  Heath gestured with the gun. “Out of the room. Go on. You can do it.”

  She walked out of the room. She was so shaky, she could hardly hold herself up. “Listen, Heath, please don’t kill me. I know I made you mad, and you probably think—”

  “Stop being melodramatic,” said Heath. “We’re going downstairs. I’m behind you. Walk.”

  She squeaked. She was too afraid.

  He held up the gun. “Go, Catherine.”

  She scurried forward.

  The hallway seemed darker and smaller than usual. She noticed that the wallpaper was peeling off the walls at the corners. It was a little bit yellowed with age as well. It was old, maybe from the seventies judging from the color scheme.

  The wooden floor was warped, and she stepped carefully, afraid she’d lose her balance.

  “For god’s sake, you can go faster than that,” said Heath.

  She looked over her shoulder at him. She tried to move faster, but it was hard. She was afraid of tripping. Her pulse was racing and her whole body felt stiff.

  “You’re such a little scared bunny,” said Heath. “Sometimes, I see your mother in you, but other times, you’re so much a Linton, it makes me want to tear you to pieces.”

  Thera was seized in an ecstasy of terror. It was impossible for her to move. “I don’t want to die,” she managed.

  “Then go down the damned stairs,” growled Heath.

  Pulling together every shred of courage she had, she managed to get moving again.

  She made her way down the steps ahead of Heath.

  “Into the kitchen,” he said.

  Was that because it would be easier to clean her brains off of the linoleum when he shot her to death?

  But she got in there. Gage was sitting at the table already, his face stone.

  “Sit down,” said Heath, gesturing with the pistol.

  Thera collapsed in her chair, her lower lip trembling. “Oh god, you’re going to kill both of us?”

  “He’s not going to kill us, Thera,” said Gage, reaching for her hand. “Heath’s never killed anyone.”

  Heath chuckled long and low, the laugh of a madman. “Of course I have, Gage. You really think your stepfather shot himself?”

  ***

  1995

  There was blood everywhere. Something inside Cathy had broken, and it had all come gushing out of her.

  Heath had put the car in gear when it happened, going back to the Linton’s house. He wasn’t sure why. Maybe he could call an ambulance? Someone to move the tree? Maybe a doctor could drive to the tree and then walk the rest of the way in?

  While he was driving, he’d seen the lightning. A huge, huge tongue of it, coming straight down in front of him.

  And when he got to the Linton house, it was on fire. The whole place was ablaze. He thought maybe the rain would have put it out. But the wind must have done its work too well, spreading it everywhere. It was too much fire for even the rain to stop.

  He didn’t know what to do.

  Cathy was yelling and crying and moaning next to him, and there was so much blood. There was so much of it.

  He drove back to the tree.

  He tried to move it, tried to drag it out of the road.

  But it was impossible. He couldn’t budge it.

  When he came back to the car, Cathy was quieter. Her face was white, and her lips had turned a funny purple color he didn’t like.

  She turned accusing eyes on him.

  “You’re going to be okay,” he said, pulling her into his arms. He was lying. He knew it. If he thought she was going to be okay, then he’d be doing something right now. But he was giving up.

  “I’m dying,” she said.

  “No,” he said.

  “You and Eli did it to me. It took both of you, but together you killed me.”

  “C
athy.” His voice was anguished. “Don’t talk like that. You’re my life. You can’t die. I won’t let you.” But he was letting her. He didn’t know what else to do.

  “You killed me.” Her voice was bitter. “How long do you think you’ll live after I’m gone? You and Isabella can raise your baby together. You’ll forget about me.”

  “How can you say that?” he said. “You know I could never forget you. You know that losing you will drive me absolutely mad. You know I can’t exist without you. You’re the other part of me.”

  She looked up at him. Her eyes were hollow. Her expression was desperate. “I’m going to hold onto you, and I’m going to take you with me. Or I’m going to stay somehow. I don’t want to be away from you. I just got you back, and I’m not letting you go.”

  Tears started coming out of his eyes. He didn’t bother wiping at them. “You’re not dying. Stop saying it.”

  “I am,” she said. And he didn’t like the way she looked at him, like she was looking through him, like her eyes weren’t focusing. “I can feel it coming for me. I’m weak. And everything’s cold.” She touched her stomach. “The baby’s probably dead too. They might have to kill me to get it out.”

  “Never,” said Heath. “You’re not— You’re going to be fine. Just stop thinking, talking like you’re not.”

  “When I’m gone, I’ll be free. Finally free.” She drew in a long, slow breath. “I always felt like I was being crushed, Heath. Like everything was suffocating me. I couldn’t get free of any of it. You did it. And Eli did it. And the damned farm. And my baby. My baby too. She crushed me. But I can see it now.” She got a very faraway look on her pale face. “I can see that I’ll be free. Nothing will hold me in anymore.”

  He felt wild with terror, but he still didn’t know what to do. He kissed her lips. They were cold. “You can’t do this, Cathy. This is the worst thing you’ve ever done to me, and you’ve done a lot of awful things. You can’t leave me without you. How am I supposed to handle that? How am I supposed to keep existing in a world without you? If you die, I swear to god, I won’t be able to control myself. The things I’ll do. You can’t, Cathy. You can’t.”