My Salvation

by Michelle Dare

  Once the yacht was out to sea, Steven slowed it down and Adeline went to work getting lunch situated. She prepared homemade macaroni salad, deviled eggs, a garden salad and a variety of sandwiches. For dessert she brought her famous tiramisu. Owen said she made it better than any restaurant he had ever eaten at.

  Ethan didn’t say much during lunch. No one seemed to notice except Owen and he didn’t want to force the conversation. Once Cali caught on, however, all bets were off. She was asking him whatever came to mind.

  “So, Ethan, do you have a girlfriend?”

  “No, I’m not dating anyone right now. I mean, I go on dates, but nothing serious.”

  “No girl has caught your eye yet? I’m surprised. Between Owen and you, you could both be models. Great genes run in your family,” she said. Owen could see Ethan starting to blush.

  “Most women aren’t interested in having a relationship with me. I don’t come off as the marriage type. I don’t know how much Owen has told you, but I used to drink a lot and wasn’t always the nicest drunk. I hate to say this, but I used a lot of women. It was sex and nothing else. And now, I need to focus on staying sober and a relationship could complicate things. It’s a constant battle to maintain focus and not give in to my old ways.”

  “I can’t even imagine. And I’m sure the female population thanks you for no longer behaving like you used to,” she said, laughing. “I know Owen loves having you at work. He tells me how good you are at what you do.”

  Ethan smiled at her comment. It was the truth. He was happy to have him there. His brother had always been a big part of his life and to have him back in it meant a lot to him.

  “I’m very happy to be back,” Ethan said. Owen knew he had a lot to work on, but having a steady job and staying sober would keep him on the right track.

  Ethan’s next question was directed toward Owen. “So, what’s with all of the security? You and Cali are followed around like someone’s going to jump out and attack you.”

  “Cali’s cabin was vandalized when we were away for the weekend. And not just a little destruction. Everything was destroyed. The furniture, bedding, curtains, hell, even the appliances were beat to shit. And her Jeep had the tires slashed.”

  “Get the fuck out,” Ethan said, shock evident in his voice. “Do you know who did it or why?”

  “No, none, and that’s not all. Her townhouse was next. Same thing, but that time one of the neighbors walked in on the person doing it and was assaulted. She wasn’t able to give a description of the person due to the trauma she suffered. She couldn’t remember any details.”

  “Do you think they are connected?”

  “Yeah they are. Both doors had a large red X spray painted on them. We have no idea what it means, but it does connect them. Since then, Steven has been spending more time with me and Erik has been brought on for Cali.”

  “That’s terrible. I wonder who’s responsible. Damn, I’m sorry you had to go through that, Cali. I hope whatever asshole is doing this is caught soon. At least you’re well-guarded. You must feel uneasy at night, knowing someone was in your house and was capable of doing those things.”

  “I haven’t stayed at my place in weeks. I’ve been staying with Owen, so I’ve felt completely safe. I’m still worried though and feel like I’m always looking over my shoulder, waiting for something to happen. It’s not a fun way to live,” Cali said, sadness in her eyes.

  “So you two are serious?”

  Owen spoke first. “Yes, very. Cali’s moving in with me this weekend.”

  “That’s great! I always thought you two had something going on when we were younger, but Cali went off to college and you were working full time.” Ethan turned in his chair to face her, leaning forward. With his voice low, he said, “My brother had the biggest crush on you. I would tease him all of the time. I’m glad he finally grew a set and made a move.” He winked and sat back.

  Owen moved quickly and punched Ethan in the arm, not hard, but enough to sting a little. “Ow, what the fuck?”

  “Shut up,” was his only response. Cali meanwhile was biting her lip trying to hold in her laughter. “Something funny?”

  “I love watching you two together. Oh and Ethan, Owen does indeed have a set. A big one at that.” It was Cali’s turn to wink at him. Owen started laughing out loud.

  Ethan scrunched up his nose, making a face. “Way too much information, Cali.”

  She shrugged and grabbed a deviled egg to take a bite out of. Her personality was one of the many things Owen loved.

  They were laughing and having a good time. Ethan finally looked relaxed and was talking with Cali like they had been friends for years. Owen was joking with both of them when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. The number displayed made his breath catch.

  “Matthews.”

  On the other end of the line, a woman’s voice came through. “Mr. Matthews, this is Jessica from Adelman Security. Can you please verify your code word for me?”

  “Caliana.”

  “Thank you. Sir, I’m showing an alarm sounding due to a glass break at your house on Dalia Road. Are you at the house? We want to verify it wasn’t accidentally tripped. If not, we’ll send police to investigate.” His pulse quickened at her words.

  “I’m not in the area. Yes, please send someone. I’ll get there as soon as possible. Please tell the police that and also give them my cell number.”

  “Will do, sir.”

  He ended the call and yelled for Steven. “Turn it around, now! We have to get back to shore.” Steven didn’t even hesitate in maneuvering the yacht and speeding off.

  Adeline was gathering lunch as quickly as possible, with the help of Ethan and Cali, before it went flying. “What’s going on?” Cali asked while grabbing drinks to ensure nothing would spill.

  “Someone broke into my cabin. That was the security company on the phone. The glass break sensor had gone off and they are sending police to check it out. Glass doesn’t just break. Even a bird hitting it wouldn’t cause it to shatter. Someone is in my cabin.”

  His mind was moving a hundred miles a minute. “Erik, when we get to shore, I want Cali in the car and back to the house. Do not stop for anything. I want her inside and safe and don’t leave the house unless you have my permission. I don’t know what’s going on and don’t want to take any chances.” Erik nodded. His body was tense and his mouth set into a firm line.

  Owen went to sit next to her. He could see worry on her face and could feel her shaking. “Everything is going to be okay. You have to go home with Erik. I’ll call as soon as I can. I need to know you’re safe.”

  “But what if you aren’t? You don’t know what you’re going to find, Owen.”

  “No, I don’t, but the police will arrive long before me. They will clear out any threat before I even get there. I need to talk to the cops though and find out what happened.”

  She nodded and leaned into his chest. Her arms went around his waist, holding him tight. He glanced over to Ethan to see he looked worried too. Owen was pissed, the closer they were to shore, the angrier he became. He needed to put an end to the shit going on. The sooner, the better.

  Arriving back at the dock, Steven pulled the yacht in and cut the engine. Owen had called the office and had one of his employees met them to anchor it. He needed to move quick, but knew he needed to get Cali into a car first. Luckily they had a couple company vehicles not being used.

  Steven handed Erik the keys to the Benz and he got in to start the engine. Owen gave her a quick kiss and helped her inside. Closing the door, Erik left wasting no time. Steven pulled up behind him in a dark blue Chevy Tahoe.

  The police hadn’t been in touch and he didn’t know whether to take that as a good sign or not. He was anxious to see the cabin. His leg bounced up and down the entire way. He couldn’t contain the energy coursing through him. Steven didn’t say a word. He’d known the older man long enough to know what he was feeling without asking.

  Roundin
g the last bend in the road, before the pull-off for the cabin, Owen could see smoke above the trees. “What the fuck?”

  Steven couldn’t park in the drive due to the police cars and fire trucks. He had to drive past the cabin and park alongside the road. Owen jumped out as soon as the SUV stopped. A police officer was standing guard at the scene as he approached. “Officer, that’s my cabin. What’s going on?”

  “You’re Owen Matthews?” the policeman asked.

  “Yes, here is my identification. Now tell me what the fuck is going on.”

  The officer looked at his driver’s license and said, “We arrived to a call of an alarm. We went to investigate the scene. Sure enough, the front window off of the porch was broken. We opened the door, did a sweep and found the bedroom in the rear of the home on fire. The door was shut. The smoke was seeping out from underneath. We checked all of the rooms to ensure no one was inside and called in to get the fire department on scene.”

  “The bedroom in the back is mine. Was anything broken, destroyed? Did you find anything upon entering?” He wanted to know if the break-in and fire were connected to what happened to Cali, although he had a feeling they were.

  The officer nodded. “We found a shattered picture frame. There was a photo of a young woman and someone spray painted a red X over it. We grabbed it before leaving and will be examining the frame for fingerprints.”

  Owen’s stomach sank. He knew exactly what picture the officer was referring to. It was one he had of Cali when she was eighteen. Her last summer at the cabin before college. But what he didn’t understand is how someone found it. He had the frame tucked into one of the dresser drawers under some clothing. The red X told him it was the same person. What the hell is going on? he thought.

  He gave the officer a quick run-down of what happened to Cali’s cabin and townhouse. The officer said he was vaguely familiar with the situation. While he didn’t respond to that call, he did remember his colleagues discussing what happened.

  They were still looking for whoever was responsible. Owen also told him that he had video surveillance on the house and will be reviewing the footage when he gets home. He would also give a copy to the police.

  Owen rubbed his hand over his face. If he ever got his hands on the person behind everything he was going to rip them to shreds. The police would be the least of their problems.

  * * * * * * * *

  Cali couldn’t take the waiting. Steven did call, making sure she was all right. That was the last they heard from them. Now, she was left to pace from room to room. And poor Erik followed her, ever vigilant, waiting for something to happen or to be of some help.

  Her nerves were already shot, then add more stress on, she was one raw bundle of nerves. She swore she would be bald by the time all of it was over. A thought came to her, liquor! She needed to find something to help calm her. She knew somewhere in his huge house had to be a well-stocked bar, she just had to find it.

  She wasn’t much of a drinker. Only drinking for special occasions. Walking into the kitchen she found Adeline who had rode back to the house with her and Erik. She was sitting at the table sipping tea, looking out of the window.

  “Adeline, where does Owen keep the liquor?”

  “In his office, dear. In a cabinet across the room from his desk.”

  “Great! Would you care to join me?”

  “No, but thank you for asking.”

  Cali quickly found what she was in search of and chose a nice tequila. None of the other hard liquors looked appealing. She poured herself a shot and threw it back, feeling the burn as it went through her. Not enough, she thought.

  Four more shots all within ten minutes and she was starting to feel warm all over. She turned to find Erik lingering outside of the doorway. “Erik! Want a shot?”

  He took a hesitant step inside, going no further. “No thank you ma’am. May I suggest you slow down a little? I know you’re upset, but please be careful how much you drink.”

  She knew he was right, but didn’t really care. She only wanted to calm her nerves and the tequila seemed to have done the trick. Pacing no longer seemed necessary.

  Just then Erik’s phone rang. He stepped out in the hall to answer, but he wasn’t going to walk away from her. She wanted to hear what was said, but all that was heard was a lot of yes and no. Not much to go off of.

  As soon as he hung up, she was on him. “What happened? Are they coming home now?”

  “His cabin was broken into and set on fire.” Cali gasped, her hand moving to her mouth. “They are finishing up with the police and fire department now, but will be on their way soon.”

  He must have thought she was going to pass out, because he moved close to her like he was unsure of what to do. “Ma’am, you’re white as a ghost, please sit down.”

  She nodded and moved to a chair in the office. Her stomach knotted and she started to cry. Erik must have gone to get Adeline, because she was kneeling in front of her asking if she was okay in a matter of a minute.

  Adeline spoke to her in a soothing voice. “It’s going to be all right. No one was hurt and our boys are on their way home.”

  “This time, but what about next time? Adeline, this has to stop. Someone is after us. What if they try to attack us here?”

  “Dear, this place is well protected and my guess is after today’s incident you’ll be seeing more security. Steven and Owen will make sure you’re safe.”

  Adeline embraced her tightly. Her hand was stroking Cali’s hair as she cried on her shoulder. She sat in her arms, letting all of the tears and fear out. There was no point in trying to hold it in any more.

  She lost track of time. At some point she had moved to the living room and curled up on the sofa. Adeline placed a blanket over her and sat at the other end, keeping herself busy on her tablet. Cali couldn’t concentrate enough to do anything, but stare out of the window. She knew waiting was a way of life for Adeline, but she didn’t want it to be one for her as well.

  The sound of footsteps on the hardwood floor made Cali sit up. Looking toward the doorway, she saw Owen walk through. He walked to her in a few long steps. She stood on the couch and leapt into his arms, sobbing. He held her close, whispering calming words into her ear.

  “How bad was it?” she mumbled into his chest.

  “The back half of the cabin is gone. No one was there when the police arrived, but they did find something.”

  Cali pulled back to look in his eyes. He eased her to the floor and they both sat on the couch. She noticed Adeline had left the room, giving some privacy.

  “What did they find?”

  “A broken picture frame was laying on the floor inside the cabin near the front door.”

  “Why would that be significant?”

  He took a deep breath and let it out. “The picture had a red X spray painted over it and the picture was of you. A picture I had taken during our last summer together.”

  In a shaky voice, she said, “Me?”

  “Yeah. And the worst part is I didn’t have the picture out in the open. I had it tucked away in the dresser, beneath clothing. Whoever it was that found it, put it by the front door on purpose.”

  She started sobbing again. He was trying to soothe her the best he could. Gathering her in his arms, he brought her into his lap. She laid her cheek to his chest, her tears wetting his shirt.

  “What have I ever done to make someone hate me so much? I don’t understand.”

  “You didn’t do anything. The person could be after me, not you. They are just going after you by association. We’re not sure. But Cali, I would never let anything happen to you. Ever. I will protect you with my life and now Steven and Erik will do the same. You are safe with us.”

  She nodded, not able to say a word. He held her for what felt like hours. She couldn’t move, only hold on to him and cry.

  ~ 21 ~

  Thank fuck it’s the weekend, Owen thought. He had one mission and it was to get Cali moved into his house. Give
n the events of yesterday, he wasn’t allowing her to leave. He hired movers and sent Steven to supervise. All of her things, minus furniture, were being packed and moved into his garage until she had time to go through them. He was going to leave her furniture in the house unless she wanted to bring it along.

  Steven was also given the task of hiring on three more, full-time guards. Someone would be at the house twenty-four seven. They were to work in shifts, constantly monitoring everything going on with every property. If a leaf hit the ground, he wanted someone to see it. Additional cameras were also being installed at the main house. Owen already had some, but wanted every square inch covered.

  It was early Saturday morning and Cali was still sleeping. He had woken several times during the night to hear her screaming. She started having nightmares after her townhouse was broken into and they were progressively getting worse.

  He had spent a good part of last night in the security room with Steven reviewing footage from his cabin. The outdoor cameras showed nothing. Someone had shot each one out from a distance. The camera located on the inside, pointing toward the front door, showed an arm punch through the glass, reach over and unlock the door. The person who entered was dressed in all black and moved quickly to cover the camera with spray paint. Each additional camera was also covered.

  The cameras weren’t tied into the security system for a reason. He wanted access to all of the footage and didn’t want anyone else to see what went on in his private life. That was his business, no one else’s.

  He got changed and went the gym in the basement to release some of his frustration. He didn’t want to go for a run and have Cali wake to not find him nearby, so instead decided to run on the treadmill. The television was on with the day’s news showing. He didn’t hear her walk up next to him.

  Looking over, he saw her standing next to the treadmill, watching television. Her hair was damp from a shower, pulled into a ponytail. She was wearing light grey, terry cloth shorts and a plain, white tee.