by Terri Marie
The rope! Oh, Tyler! She couldn't even imagine the pain this man was in. Renee held him closer as his arms hung limply at his sides. Her heart was breaking and all she could think about was saving him. He'd done it for her that night. He'd lifted her up, filled her with his strength, and gave her the will to keep fighting. She could have collapsed on the ground that night, underneath the lightning filled skies, because giving up would have been so easy. Now it was Tyler who needed strength, protection, and a reason to keep going.
"Tell me, Renee! Anything you want, and it's yours, baby!"
She moved her hands onto his strong face and felt the wetness from his eyes, as he began to sob. Renee pulled him down and pressed her forehead to his. "Make it rain, Tyler, so you'll know it's just a storm and you're not going to drown. Let me be your shelter. Let me help you."
"I feel so lost and tired, Renee," he whispered.
"I know you do," she said, as she led him back inside.
Chapter 22
Renee held Tyler's hand on the way up the stairs and towards the bedrooms, all the while walking close to the wall so he'd have something to help him support himself.
"Wait right here, okay?" she directed and she hurried through the open door of the master bedroom to close the French doors. Renee pulled the other door closed behind her as she stepped back into the hallway to Tyler. His eyes looked so heavy and unfocused.
Renee knew that Tyler had way too much to drink, and she feared that in his inebriated state, he'd go into the room again, and stumble right off the balcony. She wrapped her arm around his waist and walked him over to her bed. She slid his t-shirt over his head, and helped him to lie back on the pillows. His shoes weren't tied, so it was easy for her to remove them.
When she looked up at him, while unfastening his belt and jeans, he was sound to sleep. There was no way she'd allow him to stay in that position with as much alcohol as he had in his system.
Renee wrestled with the blankets, to pull them from underneath the dead weight of his legs. She certainly didn't want to wake him up. He was wearing boxers, so she felt a little more comfortable looking at his body; the dried blood on the scrapes up and down his arms, and angry looking cuts on his legs from where the thorns had penetrated his jeans…Visions of Brian's battered face came to her mind. Tyler was assaulted, but mostly by the turmoil his mom left in her wake.
She crawled in next to Tyler, rolled him onto his side, and then wrapped her arms around his waist. As she spooned tightly up against him, Renee was sure if he tried to roll back, he'd alert her, even if she fell asleep. Tyler had mixed too much red wine, with an abundance of scotch, and any normal person would probably start throwing up at some point. She didn't want him lying on his back if that happened.
At six in the morning, after getting only a couple of hours of sleep, at the most, Renee was awakened by the muffled hum of a vacuum cleaner. Her heart skipped a beat and she jumped to her feet. Who's here? Then she remembered the caretakers. Please don't wake Tyler up!
Renee couldn't recall if the floor squeaked, so she walked slowly. Being responsible for waking everyone up at this hour, would probably get her tossed back down the hill. She followed the sound down the hall, and to the master bedroom. Here she was, worried about being the person to awaken everyone, when a caretaker was dumb enough to start vacuuming at six in the morning. It was obvious that people were in the house and probably sleeping; the big van was still in the driveway.
When the vacuum sounds stopped, Renee took the opportunity to open the door and see who was here.
"Come on in, Renee, and close the door. Did you sleep well?" Sean smiled as he opened up the balcony doors to air out the room.
"Why aren't you sleeping? There are caretakers who come to the house to clean," she said when she saw the sweat dripping from his temples. It was obvious that someone had made this area off limits.
"I know you know what happened. I didn't put two and two together like Tyler did, but it all makes sense. His conclusion to the rest of the story is the ugly truth. I heard Ty falling apart in the front yard, but I saw that you were with him. He needed you more than he needed to see one of our face's, which would have reminded him of what happened.
"I'm so sorry about your mom, Sean." Renee could see the rope tied onto the banister outside. She wiped a tear off of her cheek.
"At first I couldn't believe it, you know? The things Tyler said to us? I came in here and then it all began to come together, in a twisted way. I think dad was having an affair with a woman, and he kept her in this house. That's the reason we never came to Castle Lake. If you think about it, this would be a great vacation home for a family, but we were kept away. Anyway, I think mom drove up to confront my father's mistress. Seriously, this house is several hours away from Southfield, where we grew up. All of those business trips…" Sean shook his head and laughed before continuing.
"My best guess is that after my mother drove up here to this house, she found the master bedroom and then spotted a locket containing pictures of her husband and his mistress. She placed that necklace in her pocket, and then took her locket off and sat it down on the nightstand in the same place. When the switch was discovered, dad would have known he'd been busted, and that mom had seen it all." Sean motioned with his arms to include the women's clothing on the floor and the bed linens Tyler had thrown to the other side of the room.
"I think when mom put two and two together, especially after seeing all the evidence of dad's infidelity, she realized he was living a double life. The affair must have been going on for a very long time to have caused mom to take such drastic steps. Out of this whole house, she chose this spot; the room where my father had committed all of his transgressions. It's obvious that she did this at him. Mom made a display for him to see, so he would know her death was caused by his choices. I just wish she would have thought about us kids.
"Did he find her?" asked Renee softly as she walked towards Sean. "Your dad?"
"I believe he found her, yes. He knew there'd be no possibility that she didn't see the evidence. Dad took out his wallet and placed it on the nightstand next to the locket he'd given to mom. The son of a bitch had given the identical locket to his mistress! That's pathetic to give the same gift to both women."
Sean blinked rapidly as he turned his face away for a moment. Renee gave him the time he needed to regain his composure. "I remember mom. She was very dedicated, kind and loving to us."
"When she hung herself, she had the locket with the other woman's picture in her pocket. She must have taken this one from around her neck for my father to see." He lifted the necklace off of the nightstand. "We'll never know what caused him to look inside at the photos. Maybe mom left the locket open. The only two people who hold all the answers are dead." Sean glanced towards the balcony and shook his head.
"My mother put his lover's locket in her pocket, which Tyler still has by the way. He was the one who was given mom's personal effects before her funeral. We don't know who called the ambulance or coroner for my mom, but the moment my dad realized he'd been stripped of his secret life, he jumped to his death. There was blood found where his body would have hit on the rocks below. The cops figured he was swept away in the current. He was presumed dead."
"Sean…" Renee gave him a long hug and whispered in his ear. "I'm so sorry for all of you. This is horrible."
"I don’t quite know what to think, because I'm still processing it all. Who I'm worried about right now is Tyler. He shouldn’t have to see this grotesque wreckage ever again. I'll have this room of horrors all cleaned up and emptied out before he gets up. He's been living with this pain for seventeen years, Renee. He protected us from a truth that would have severely altered the way we got along in life. Wanna help?"
Sean winked and smiled, but Renee knew he was trying hard to fight the demons lurking here, in this bedroom.
"I sure do, Sean. Let me run downstairs and find some garbage bags, cleaner, rags, and a strong pair of scissors."
Renee was just about ready to go out onto the balcony when Vincent's voice startled her. She turned around and saw Jacob, Emma, Sean, and Brian, standing by his side.
"I'll take those," Vincent said softly, as he held out his hand to take the scissors.
Renee carefully sat them in his hand, and watched as he walked outside. She could hear him making the cuts, and then without pausing, Vincent flung the dirty, frayed rope, as far as he could, into the water below.
∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
Tyler slowly opened his eyes. It took him a moment to realize where he was, but then he remembered being outside with Renee. I must be in her bed, he thought as he carefully sat up. The room he'd chosen was decorated in dark blues, while this room was done in a floral print. His head was pounding, and the busy wallpaper wasn't helping. When he stood up, he noticed he was only in his boxers. Oh God. Certainly he would have remembered making love to her. Tyler slipped into his dirty clothes and made his way to the bathroom. He could hear a commotion up the hall, but it hurt too much to move his head in that direction. He quickly turned on the shower and climbed in. The water running down his neck and shoulders felt so good.
Tyler remembered the conversation he'd had with his brothers, and hopefully they still chose to forgive him. He felt weak. It wasn't all from the booze though; the ugly history, which he'd tried so hard to keep buried, had gotten flung into the present. The past few weeks hadn't been easy. He really cared about Renee. Tyler recalled the night of the storm when he saw her struggling emotionally. She seemed so nice, and she certainly didn't deserve to be mistreated by someone who was supposed to love her. What started out as concern for Renee, quickly escalated into a panic. Did she become Robert's prey? Did she decide to end her life? Every time Tyler saw a woman on the brink of collapse, his heart raced. Why? Suddenly, the answer came to him. He lived with the fear of not being able to stop someone else from his mother's fate. I could have saved my mom, but she wouldn't give me the chance.
When the water started to turn cold, Tyler got out of the shower. Through every woman he ever cared about, he fought to save his mother. He'd first met Emma, while walking on a pier. Her father had thrown her out of the house at seventeen, and she'd been under his wing ever since.
Renee. I have to talk to, Renee. Tyler wrapped a towel around his waist, and stepped out into the hall. When he heard the commotion still going on in the master bedroom, he approached the door with caution, before opening it. He was stunned at what he saw. Every single item was gone from the room. There was absolutely no evidence that anyone had ever lived there. The walls were wiped down, the floor was vacuumed…he went outside onto the balcony; the rope was no longer swinging from the banister.
Tyler couldn't find a way to express his gratitude without losing it. He felt his eyes water as he looked at all their faces and tried to smile. He couldn't speak, so he silently expressed his gratitude by nodding his head. At that moment, he felt many arms encircle him.
He had no idea what happened to his father's wallet and his mother's locket. Tyler didn't think he could handle ever seeing them again. He considered himself to be a pretty damn strong man, except for now; he'd never felt so vulnerable in his life.
Tyler looked at Renee, who was staring back at him with eyes full of compassion. Her hands were holding dirty paper towels and a bottle of spray cleaner.
"Can I talk to you for a minute?" he whispered.
Renee sat the stuff down, before following Tyler down the hall and into her bedroom.
Once inside, he closed the door. "Obviously I slept in here. Don't hit me, but I don't remember if anything happened between the two of us or not. I was pretty drunk, and no, I don't usually drink that much…ever."
"Yes, you were drunk. If I was going to take that step with you, I'd want to make sure we both remember it." Her cheeks glowed red, as she looked down at the floor.
Tyler lifted her chin. "If I were sober, I wouldn't have minded it at all. I wish I could remember lying next to you in this bed. Listen, you saw me at my worst, and still chose to help me. While I remember most of the things we talked about outside last night, I can't recall everything that came out of my mouth. I apologize if I said anything inappropriate to you."
"I just wanted to help you. I wanted to—"
"I know," began Tyler as he lifted her hands to his lips and kissed them. "You said you wanted to save me from the storm, but it didn't rain last night, Renee. Right now, I'm going to create a downpour. Come here." Tyler pulled her into his arms, so close, her entire body was touching his. He ran his hand up her back, and into her hair, carefully aiming his mouth at hers. When he saw Renee's lips part before he'd even touched her, he didn't bother to push down the moan that rose from his chest, or try to hide his arousal. He felt the sweet pull of need from his ass to his loins. . .Tyler lifted her nightgown over her head and let it fall to the floor--his hunger for this woman grew when he saw nothing but her naked skin. Beautiful skin. He reached up and unfastened her hair, allowing her dark brown tresses to cascade down her back and over the tops of her round breasts. Her body was lean and tan, and better yet, she fit against him like a glove.
Renee looked up at him, relaying total permission and approval with her eyes. After shedding his wet towel, Tyler slid his hands down her smooth skin, and lifted her up by the backs of her thighs. His hands caressed her skin until they reached her butt, and then he pulled her to him as if she was his only source of air.
Their eyes never closed. Tyler stared into hers and saw no flaws in her soul, no harmful intent; just a woman whose passion was encompassing him.
He felt her ankles tighten around him as she let her knees fall to the sides. He quickly carried her to the wall, pushing her against it with incredible desire. His towel hit the floor, as she gasped and closed her eyes.
"Keep them open, Baby, please..."
Tyler felt Renee's hips press and rock until her wet center, moistened his abdomen.
When he felt Renee's warm hand try to wrap around his full thickness, he pushed through her fingers and entered her with one swift motion. Her legs wrapped tighter around Tyler's waist, holding him to her. He felt like he was home…like the world outside of this moment, had ceased to taint and destroy his life. Empowered.
Tyler's hands caressed her thighs, spreading her moisture between them like a hot blanket. He moved his hips slightly as she arched her back and quivered around him. Tyler could no longer resist this final connection, with the woman he wanted to trust with his heart. He looked into her eyes as he let his body spasm and melt into hers.
When Tyler's legs regained their strength, he carried her to the bed, and slowly let his body rest upon hers. Looking down at her beautiful face, he knew now that he had the strength to defend.
The strength to win.
Chapter 23
Just before noon, Renee followed Tyler out of her bedroom. She attempted to smooth down her messy hair, but she knew that the glow on her face could not be disguised. Not only did Tyler's body feel and look amazing, but he had given it to her. It wasn't just sex. He'd made love to her. Her mind wanted to recall all of the years she'd been left untouched and alone, but when she looked up at Tyler's face, she realized she couldn't allow Robert to infect her heart and mind anymore. Right before they entered into the kitchen, Tyler leaned down and kissed her cheek softly before whispering in her ear.
"Are you ready for this?" he asked.
Without a pause, she answered him. "Yes."
He reached down and lifted her hand, entwining his fingers with hers. He held on firmly, as they approached the group. Renee, for the first time in years, felt butterflies in her stomach.
Everyone looked up
and stared, with surprised looks on their faces. Vincent and Emma were the first to smile and nod in approval. The rest followed suit, shortly thereafter. Tyler pulled out her chair as she sat down, and then he stood behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders.
"Now that we have everyone's attention, there are a few things we need to get done today. Sean, when we're done with the van this evening, it has to go inside of the garage."
"Got it," replied Sean.
"Brian and Jacob, stay here with Sean. The rest of us are going to find a store to get some groceries and clothing. We're looking a bit—" Tyler stopped himself.
"Homeless!" shouted Brian as they all broke out in laughter.
"Exactly," Tyler laughed and winked at the kid. "We'll swing by a drive-thru for some dinner on the way back. Remember, we have to make this a quick trip. Being out in public, isn't a good idea right now. Is everyone ready?"
Tyler looked down at Renee. She could feel his eyes on her, so she lifted up her face and met his gaze.
"Always," she answered with a smile.
"Good. Let's rumble," he said as he bent down and covered her lips with his own, in front of everyone.
Renee didn't feel any embarrassment or guilt. After the longest, most painful journey of her life, Tyler touched and healed her. Now, she finally felt like she was home…and she never wanted to leave.
∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
Robert reached over and cuffed his brother on the back of his head.
"What the hell was that for, Robbie?"
"I should have already had this report in my hands. You're a lazy ass, Clarence. A real lazy ass," sneered Robert, as he cuffed him again.
