Twisted Freedom

by J Grayland

  “I’ve been waiting for such a long time, and it looks like my little girl is all grown up,” he said, the sound of his gravelly, low voice making me feel nauseous. When a tear slid from the corner of my eye and ran down the side of my cheek, he caught it with his thumb. “Aw, don’t cry, little girl. I won’t hurt you. You see, I’ve had a long time to think about what I did wrong, and I know now that I should have just been more patient with you.” With my stomach churning and my heart almost beating out of my chest, I felt my breaths getting quicker and shorter as the fear started to take over. I needed to get it under control so I could clear my thoughts and do what I needed to survive.

  Chapter Twelve

  Nate

  The line of people in front of us was slowly getting shorter as the taxis pulled up and people fell into them. We were finally getting closer to the front. It had been a good night. The meal was spectacular, and it was good seeing Casey relaxed and enjoying her last night on the town with Flynn. But now, I found myself constantly staring over toward the passageway to the ladies bathroom, looking for Casey because we only had about six people in front of us. Why was she taking so long? Maybe there was a line for the bathroom, as well, I told myself. But when I looked at Flynn, we were both clearly having the same thought. Where the fuck was she?

  When a taxi pulled up and four of the people in front of us jumped in, something didn’t feel right, and my chest had an uncomfortable feeling in it.

  “I’m going to go check on Casey,” I told Flynn, making my way toward the passageway.

  “Tell her to move her butt,” I heard Flynn call out behind me. Making my way down toward the passageway, I heard what sounded like low voices. Picking up my pace a little, I turned the final corner, and what I saw made my head explode in anger. Casey was being held against the wall by someone. My brain thumped with fury, and the blood coursing through my veins was so hot it felt like they were going to burst. All I could see was red. I took off running toward the scene that, in my head, looked like it was on a movie screen. I felt detached as I reached them and grabbed the asshole’s shoulder, spinning him to face me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Casey slide down the wall into a sitting position, and the face I now stared at was the one person in this world that I wanted to kill. All I could get out was one word, “You,” before my arm cocked back with a clenched fist and slammed into his face. I felt his nose crack on impact as blood sprayed from it, and once that first punch hit home, I lost it. Punch after punch followed as I gripped the front of his shirt. Every time my fist connected with his flesh, my adrenaline spiked even more. I wanted to hit him so hard that my fist would come out the other side of his skull. He dropped onto the floor. I stood over him and continued to pummel every inch of his now lifeless body. With the blood rushing through my ears like a freight train, I heard Casey’s pleading voice as she said, “Stop him, Flynn! Please!” followed by strong arms wrapping around my chest, trying to cage my arms into my body.

  “Nate! Stop, he’s done,” Flynn said, as I struggled to break his hold. With my chest heaving, I glanced to where Casey was sitting, her cheeks soaked with tears. When I saw the terror in her face, it kicked my brain back into gear. “Okay, let go of me,” I growled at Flynn, which he instantly did. I crouched down to where Casey sat and scooped her up to a standing position, running my hand over her hair to the back of her neck. “What did he do?” I spat out.

  “Nothing. I’m okay,” she breathed out. Looking into her terrified eyes, I knew she was lying. I also knew I had to get her out of here. Flynn was bending over Max’s limp, bloodied body. I watched as he placed two fingers against his neck, feeling for a pulse, then he looked up at us both. “Get her out of here.”

  “Flynn,” Casey whimpered.

  “Now! Grab a taxi and take her home, Nate. Leave it with me,” he said with a low growl.

  Looking at Flynn, something passed between us that made me instantly pull Casey against my chest, grab her purse off the ground, and walk her to the waiting taxi at the curb. Pushing in front of a guy just about to open the door, I grabbed hold of the handle first, helping Casey into the back seat.

  “Sorry, pal, I think this one’s mine,” I grumbled as I got in next to her, giving the driver the address. Every muscle in my body was straining with tension, my hands still locked into fists, my breathing uneven, until I felt a hand slide across to mine with soft, trembling fingers gently brushing across my skin and pulling me from my darkness where bright blue eyes that shimmered with tears looked deep into mine. We had no words for each other at that moment, but all I needed right then was her touch.

  As soon as we got inside the house, Casey went to the fridge, pulled out an ice pack, and pressed it against my throbbing knuckles. She motioned for me to sit as she pulled out two tumblers from the cupboard and a bottle of scotch, pouring the amber liquid into the glasses. She handed me one, then sat across from me with her own glass. Throwing back the scotch in one gulp, I felt it burn slightly as it went down, and Casey refilled before going back to sipping hers.

  “Are you okay?” I asked her gently, bringing her eyes up to mine.

  “I think so. I’m not exactly sure what just happened though. Are you okay?” she responded, her eyes glancing down at my swollen and bloodied hands.

  “Yeah, that’s nothing,” I said, shrugging off her concern.

  “Nate, that was not nothing. What you did was…” Her voice trailed off as her eyes looked around for an answer.

  “Was necessary, and believe me, he was lucky that Flynn turned up because when I saw his hands on you, all I could think of was ripping him to shreds,” I said, shaking my head.

  “But Nate, what if he is dead? What if someone saw…holy shit, Nate.” I could hear the panic starting to rise in her voice as the shock was starting to wear off, leaving clear the whole situation. Dropping the ice pack on the table, I reached across, pulling her off her chair and sliding her shaking body onto my lap. I wrapped my arms tightly around her as her hands grasped at my shirt front. “What if…what if someone tells the police, and they come after you?”

  “Shh,” I hushed against the top of her head. “It’s okay, baby. Flynn said he’d take care of it, and I trust him to do just that. Besides,” I said, glancing down at my watch, “we’ll be at the airport in a couple of hours on our way back to Portland, and if there’s one person that I would never feel any guilt over putting six feet under, it’s that fucker,” I said with disdain.

  “I couldn’t take it if something happened to you knowing that I was the cause of it,” she whispered. I pulled back so I could look into her eyes. I needed to make sure she heard and understood me.

  “I told you I would kill for you, and I meant it. I promise you nothing will ever happen to me, okay?” I said. I pulled her back into my arms where we sat in silence. Sometime later, with Casey still on my lap and her eyes closed, I heard the front door open and saw a disheveled looking Flynn walk into the kitchen. He dropped his keys and phone on the table. He sat and grabbed the bottle of scotch, took a long swig from it, then leaned back into the chair and let out a long-held breath. Casey’s eyes opened, and she pulled herself up to look at Flynn.

  “Are you okay?” she asked him.

  “Yeah, I’m fine. What about you two?” Flynn asked, his eyes darting between Casey and me.

  “Nothing that an ice pack didn’t fix,” I said, looking at him. “And you?”

  Flynn rolled his eyes and said, “It’s been a long night.”

  “Is he…” Casey started to ask Flynn, but he cut her off.

  “He’s in a bad way. You gave him a good beating, mate; thanks for that.”

  His words made me grin. “You’re welcome.”

  Casey stood up. “Seriously? I can’t believe either of you are taking this so calmly. I mean, because of me, you’ve beaten someone half to death,” she said, looking at me and then Flynn. “And you’ve
helped cover up a crime, and you’re both patting each other on the back?”

  “I’m sorry, sweets, but Nate just did what I’ve wanted to do for so long. He deserves a pat on the back,” Flynn chuckled, causing Casey’s stance to stiffen as her hands fisted on her hips.

  “It isn’t funny, Flynn. What if someone saw, and he dies? Or he tells the police that Nate beat the hell out of him? Then they will come after the pair of you.”

  “Calm down, that’s not going to happen,” Flynn said calmly.

  “How can you be so sure?” Casey asked him.

  Flynn took another slug from the bottle of scotch in his hand.

  “Because I was the one who called the cops and an ambulance for him, and I watched as the cops talked to people in the crowd. Everyone was so drunk and buzzed that no one saw anything,” he said casually.

  “You called the cops?” Casey asked.

  “Yes, I just told them that I found him on my way to the bathroom.”

  “But what about when he talks to the cops?” she said, frustrated with Flynn’s answers.

  “It doesn’t matter. He had so many drugs on him and in him that if he does regain consciousness, he’ll go back inside for breaking his parole.”

  “What do you mean drugs? How do you know he had taken drugs?” Casey eyed Flynn with suspicion.

  “I know because I put them on him and shoved a couple down his throat. The bastard had a bad gag reflex, too. Almost bit me.”

  “What the hell, Flynn?” Casey yelled, throwing her hands up in the air.

  “Those two chicks that I was dancing with, they slipped me a little baggie. It had about 8 ecstasy pills in it, so before the cops got there, I shoved two down his throat and pushed the rest into his pocket, problem solved. Now, who’s hungry? I am starving. How about I cook us up some bacon and eggs?” Flynn stood and went into the kitchen. He proceeded to pull out the bacon and a carton of eggs, placing them on the counter.

  Casey stood, hands still firmly placed on her hips, with her mouth slightly ajar, staring at him until he finally looked at her.

  “What?”

  “I’m totally stunned, Flynn. I have no words.”

  “Humph, that would be a first,” he chuckled as he pulled out a frying pan from under the counter and placed it on the stove top.

  “I can’t believe you did that. Who are you? Do I even know you?” she asked him, but before he could answer, I stood up and wrapped my arms around her waist.

  “I’ll tell you who he is, baby. He’s your best friend, he loves you, and that’s all you need to know, okay?” I felt her relax slightly at my words, and her stare softened as she looked back at Flynn.

  She nodded, sighed, and then said, “You’re right. I know everything I will ever need to know.” She broke away from me and moved around the counter to Flynn, where he wrapped her in a ferocious bear hug, lifting her off her feet before placing her back down.

  “Okay, now sit while I cook,” he said, giving me a tip of his chin in gratitude for my support, but really, I owed him a lot more.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Casey

  After Flynn had loaded us all up with a plate full of crispy bacon and eggs, we had enough time to take a shower, get dressed, and leave for the airport. I sat in the back seat as Flynn drove us, and I could hear their low voices in the front. At another time, I would have struggled to listen, but at the moment, all I could think about was the previous night. I couldn’t help but think how ludicrous it all was. I mean, how sick can a person be to spend the last eighteen years behind bars, only to be released and go straight back out into the public with the intent of continuing where he finished off? It was crazy. No, he was crazy. And Nate…I didn’t think I had ever seen him that out of control before. The realization of how far he would go to protect me and what we have gave me an icy tingle down my spine. I had an underlying feeling of remorse and even guilt. Remorse for Nate losing it because of what Max had done, and guilt because as a doctor, my duty of care was to protect people from harm, but as Nate beat Max into a bloody mess, the only thing that I could think of was Nate’s safety. Shit, now I was thinking too deeply about why the hell would I feel anything but hatred for Max fucking Sullivan. I think if anything, I was mad at myself for being a frozen statue in his grip and not kicking him in the balls myself.

  As we pulled up at the Kingsford Smith Airport, my thoughts were pulled back into the present. Seeing the doors for international departure made me realize that we were going back home, getting out. Flynn pulled the luggage from the boot, then stood in front of us.

  “Well, I guess this is where I leave you,” Flynn said.

  “You’re not coming in?” I asked him.

  “Nah, I hate goodbyes. Besides, I don’t want to get a ticket for parking too long,” he said, grinning. Wrapping my arms around his waist, he gave me a tight hug and whispered in my ear, “Love you, sweets.”

  “Love you, too. And it’s not goodbye, it’s see you later,” I said.

  After letting me go, he thrust out a hand to Nate, who took it. “Look after my girl,” Flynn said as they shook hands.

  “You know I will,” Nate said. He clapped Flynn on the shoulder. “And thanks for everything. Remember, don’t be a stranger. We’ll have a room for you anytime you want, okay?” Flynn gave Nate a nod before rounding the Jeep, jumping in, and not looking back. I knew how hard this was for him, but I hoped he would be able to find his own peace and learn to live a little like I had. Besides, it wasn’t as though I would never see him again.

  Nate grabbed the suitcase, and we checked in our luggage. It was weird as I watched that one suitcase, which encompassed my entire life before I met Nate. It didn’t seem like much to show for thirty years on this earth, but it was what it was, I guess. We waited in the Qantas lounge because, once again, Nate had managed to buy us business class tickets without my knowledge. This time, I wasn’t going to argue with him; he deserved to have the extra leg room. It was going to be a long flight again, with a five-hour layover in Honolulu, but I was pretty sure we would definitely be getting some sleep considering we hadn’t slept all night.

  Before long, a female voice came over the loudspeaker. “Passengers flying Qantas flight 3711 traveling from Sydney to Honolulu then onto Portland, Oregon, please make your way to the departure desk. Your flight is now boarding.”

  Nate stood and took my hand in his as we walked to the boarding desk, handing over our boarding passes and passports, then making our way down to the waiting Airbus where we were shown to our luxurious seats. Once we took our seats, we were offered a glass of champagne. Nate gave me a wicked grin and said, “What, no complaints this time?”

  “Nope, none at all,” I said, smiling back at him.

  As soon as we took off, Nate stretched out his long legs and was asleep before we reached cruising altitude. I leaned my seat back and lay on my side with my hands tucked under my cheek, watching him as he slept. His strong jawline was covered in a dark scruff, his full lips were parted ever so slightly, and his black hair was unruly, with a few stray locks almost covering his closed eyes. I actually felt relief for him. He was on his way home to his family, his penthouse, and his office—all places where he had some control. Coming with me to Australia must have been hard on him, but I so appreciated him being with me on this trip, even if it was a dramatic one. I wondered if there would ever be any words that I could give him to express exactly how much him being by my side through all of this meant to me. I guess I could only try.

  I soon followed Nate in slumber, only waking briefly to decline an offer of lunch. I was so tired I couldn’t even think of food. I briefly noticed Nate’s empty seat. I guessed he had gone to the bathroom. I yawned, closed my eyes, and drifted back to sleep.

  The next time I woke, the cabin of the plane was in darkness. Nate was watching some action flick on the screen in front of hi
m while wearing headphones. As I sat up and stretched my arms in the air, Nate looked at me, removing one of the headphones from his ear.

  “Hey, sleepy girl,” he said, smiling.

  “Hi,” I replied softly.

  “I’ll get the steward to get you something to eat,” he said, pressing the button on the side of the chair.

  “No, it’s okay,” I tried to say, but was stopped.

  “You need to eat. You missed lunch and dinner. Don’t argue,” he said with a cheeky grin on his lips.

  “Sure,” I sighed. “I need to use the bathroom first,” I said, standing and slipping into the aisle. Once I made it to the bathroom, I tried to finger comb my hair into a ponytail and splashed my face with cool water. I felt like I had slept for a week. My whole body felt really heavy. When I got back to my seat, there was a tray waiting for me with a selection of sandwiches, a chocolate muffin, and a bottle of water. I ate while Nate continued watching his movie.

  I had to admit, the flight was better on the way back, even though we were late getting into Honolulu, so we didn’t stay there as long as expected. Our final leg home went quickly, and we landed at PDX at 8:30 in the morning on the same day we left Sydney, which was always weird to think about. Once outside, we made our way to the long-term, secured parking where Nate picked up the keys to the SUV, and we were on our way back to the penthouse. I saw the instant relief in Nate’s body language once he was back to driving on what he thought was the right side of the road, and I knew he must have felt good to be home.

  As soon as we got into the penthouse, the bags were dropped outside the lift, and we both went upstairs and flopped into bed, both falling asleep almost instantly. The next time I woke was to the sound of the shower. Sitting up and pushing my legs out of bed, I groaned as I rubbed my temples. My head felt like I had been hit with a sledgehammer, and they were still pounding on it. Taking a few minutes to ride out the dizziness that went along with the pounding, I slowly walked into the bathroom where, through the steamy glass of the shower, I watched as Nate stood with his back to me, both palms resting against the tiles with his head bent under a stream of water. I was mesmerized by his solid body. I watched as the taut muscles in his back twitched as he moved his head back and forth. I loved that the ink of his colorful tattoos were more vibrant with the water running over them.