by Donn, KL
Looking away, I whisper, “I can’t trust anyone.” The last time we did, Camilla and I were left with my Uncle Curtis.
* * *
Cross
“Afternoon, Sheriff.” I nod at the man who’s been here longer than I have. Colter Wade is a good man, and right now, I’m about to trust him with Isabella’s life.
“Cross, what’s going on?” he asks as I walk him into my office just two doors from where Isabella is sitting.
“My horse barn was burned down last night.” Leaning against my desk, I watch him because, even though I believe he’s an honorable man, and I’ve trusted him for the eight years I’ve been here, do you ever really know a person?
“Shit, man, seriously? Weren’t you guys at auction?” The outrage in his voice and eyes match my own. Running his own small farm, he knows how devastating that can be.
“We were.” I nod. “All the horses were in the barn.”
Stunned, he stares at me. “What’s the loss?”
“Nothing.” I shrug. More than relieved about it.
“What? How is that possible?” Colter’s mouth hangs open as he’s writing information down.
“Someone did it to flush someone else out. This person in hiding let them out, at great risk to themselves.”
His brows furrow as he watches me. Colter knows me about as well as my brothers do. He knows when I’m leading up to something big. “What’s really going on, Malcolm?”
“What do you know about Curtis Lindsay?” I ask him instead. The man has lived here for a couple of years now, but it wasn’t until last summer that I saw Isabella for the first time; she had another girl with her. I’ve seen them both maybe a handful of times in town, but they always kept their heads down, and Curtis had his buddy Sully keeping them in check. Not allowing them to talk to anyone around them.
“Not a lot. He’s a quiet man. Had his two nieces, Camilla and Isabella Sharp, come live with him last spring. Their parents were killed in a corner store robbery about four years ago, and it took a while to track Curtis down. He’s the mother’s adoptive brother, I believe.” Colter puts his pen and pad away and stands to his full height, only a couple of inches shorter than my six-foot-two. “Talk to me, Cross, you know I’m on your side here.”
“Isabella was found close to death in the woods behind my burned-out barn six hours ago, beaten, nearly naked, and covered in soot.”
“Son of a bitch!” Scrubbing a hand down his face, I feel his frustration. “You think she did it? Or you think she was running from something or someone?” I level him with a hard stare. I don’t believe for a second that she did it. “She’s on the run,” he murmurs.
“She’s on the run,” I repeat. “She’ll be staying here while you investigate her uncle and find her sister.”
“I don’t take orders from you.” Wade frowns, but I can see the wheels turning in his head already. He was thinking the exact same thing before I said a word.
“I don’t have to help fund your campaign elections either. Or donate for the new park the kids need.” I’d still do both, but he doesn’t need to know that.
“I’m on this, Cross. But I’m going to need to speak with Isabella. I have to find out what happened. Unofficially.” He raises his hands as I’m about to tear into him.
“Tomorrow, come over for lunch. She needs rest today. Go do a wellness check or something. You do those right?” I remember a lot of bitching from Crux about how many Farren went through before she graduated high school two months ago.
“Yes, we do. I need a reason, though.”
“Fine. I saw her last month, and there was a bruise on her forearm. Looked like a handprint.” Colter glares at me knowing it’s a lie but willing to let it go so we can get the ball rolling. The sooner we find out what Isabella is running from, the sooner she can make the choice to stay here with me.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Cross.” I walk the sheriff out the door, and immediately, head back to my sparrow only to see she’s out cold again.
“I gave her a sedative,” Banner says as he’s packing up his bags. “She needs some uninterrupted rest. I’ll have Sherri come out to sit with her so you can get that barn up sooner than later and stop by the sheriff’s office to have a talk with him.” I nod. I noticed there was a look between them. He knew her before she ever woke up.
Chapter Three
Isabella
“Do you see this? You see what she made me do?” Uncle Curtis screams at me as he throws Camilla’s ragged body on the ground next to me. We’re kept in the cellar with no light, no heat, no protection from the elements at all. So not only is Camilla covered in blood but now she’s smeared in mud from the rain overnight. It seeps in through the cellar doors leading to the land behind Curtis’ house.
“She needs a doctor,” I cry as I drop to my knees next to my sister. Cami’s eyes are closed, pain lining every inch of flesh I can see. She’s bruised, broken, beaten. Her breathing is odd, too.
“She can see one when she’s dead,” Curtis says, ignoring what’s in plain sight.
“Which might notbe long with the way we worked her through.” Sully laughs, adjusting his crotch.
“What did you do to her?” Leaning over her frame, I try to protect her from their prying eyes. They don’t deserve to look upon her.
“Nothing she didn’t enjoy.” Sully licks his lips provocatively, and I can’t hold my temper back.
“You son of a bitch!” I scream and rush him, fists flying, hitting anything on his body that I can before I’m pulled off and thrown across the room. My back hits the side of the lone bedframe left for us, and the steel bar digs into my spine. I’m going to feel that much worse in the morning.
“Watch yourself, Isa, or you’ll end up just like Cami.” It’s their final warning before they leave, the lock like a match setting fire to our hell.
“Camilla?” I whisper her name, and she moans. “What did they do to you?”
Her eyes are glassy as she stares up at me. “You run, Bella. The second you have a chance, you run. And don’t ever look back.” Blood slowly dribbles down the side of her mouth, and I know that no matter what I do, Camilla isn’t coming with me.
I can’t save her.
Not now.
Not after they broke her so thoroughly.
Holding my big sister through the night, my lungs freeze when I hear her take her last breath. The rattle in her chest as she tries so hard to keep on fighting, but we both know there’s no hope left for her. She was dead the minute Sully took her away.
Gasping awake, my body is covered with sweat, my spine throbs with remembered pain from where I hit that bar. A pain that I’ll gladly endure for life because it’s my last connection to my sister.
Camilla and I were handed off to the devil after suffering through the Nevada state foster system. I was just turning seventeen and Camilla was a month shy of her eighteenth birthday when Curtis was found.
I wish they’d stopped looking. Because as bad as some of the homes were, as horrible as the families could be, we weren’t treated like cattle. We weren’t beaten for talking back. I still don’t understand why he kept us.
After first, I thought it was so he could sell us. Make some money. But the way he and Sully watched us constantly, I think it was something sicker than that. Before Cami died, she told me Sully raped her. He took the last piece of dignity she had left and laughed in her face as she begged him to stop.
Even as the older sister by a mere eleven months, Camilla was always smaller than me. More fragile. I protected her. I took the beatings, the blame, I fought for freedom, and I dragged her along with me.
Now, I’ll never hear her lilting laughter, see her green eyes light up with happiness. We won’t be able to share the memories of our parents. My entire family has been wiped out, and I’m left with nothing but the painful memories and anger I can’t direct.
“Are you okay?” Cross’ voice startles me, and I jump, pulling on all the muscles I’ve
abused the past few days as I ran from Curtis. “Hey, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.” He walks in from the doorway and sits on the side of the bed. His hands are fisted by his side, and I get the feeling he wants to reach out, to touch me. I’m just unsure of why.
“It’s fine. Just moved too quickly.” Silence drapes around us. “Umm, I have to pee.” My face heats with embarrassment.
“Do you need help?” He stands, completely ready to do whatever I need.
“Maybe getting up?” He nods and helps me toss the blankets off—revealing naked legs—and it’s then I notice I’m in a man’s flannel shirt. Biting my lip as Cross grips my calves gently and swings them around to the side of the bed, I try to fight off my embarrassment because, in all likelihood, he’s the one who changed me.
“Out the door and to the left,” he says, wrapping an arm around my waist as I stand on shaking legs. I’m weaker than I thought as I take my first step and nearly fall. If it weren’t for his strength holding me up, I’d have face planted. “I got you.” Swooping my legs out from under me, Cross carries me to the bathroom, settling me against the counter. “Do you want me to stay?”
“No,” I’m too quick to say, and he frowns. “I mean, I’ll be fine. I can do this.” I’m not sure who I’m trying to convince, him or me.
“Alright. Well”—he reaches under the counter and grabs some items—“here’s a toothbrush and stuff if you need. If you want a shower, I can call Doctor Banner’s wife over sooner than this afternoon, and she can help you.”
“I’ll manage, Cross.” When he goes to turn away, I place a hand on his forearm. “Thank you.” He frowns again. “You saved my life, Cross; I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you.”
Nodding, he replies straightforwardly, “Let me help you,” and leaves the room, closing the door quietly behind him.
Blowing out a slow breath, I lift my shirt to see the damage in the mirror. Nearly my entire torso is covered in bruises. Some old, some new. It’s a wonder I don’t have any new broken bones. Curtis and Sully spent a lot of time kicking me before my body took flight. I didn’t make the conscious choice to run, my feet did. All because I refused to go to Curtis’ brothel forty miles away. I’ve kissed one boy my entire life, I wasn’t about to give myself over to some strange man for money. That’s not me. I couldn’t do those kinds of things.
My parents raised us to believe in love and happily ever afters. When they died, we always took comfort in the fact that they were together.
Together in life, forever in death.
No matter what I’ve suffered in the last five years, I still believe in soulmates. One true love. Fairytales. All of it.
Cross rescuing me in the woods after I’ve spent months crushing on him is somehow fate. My destiny. It has to be. God isn’t so cruel as to dangle him in front of me like bait only take him away, is he?
* * *
Cross
It was apparent from her cries, the tears streaming down her face, and the clipped words I was able to make out that Isabella was locked in one hell of a bad memory when I walked into the room. As her eyes popped open, I had been about to wake her up myself.
I spent all night watching over her, off and on, and for the most part, she appeared to have a dreamless sleep. Now, as I spot shadows in her eyes as I leave her in the bathroom, I’m not so sure.
I do know that as soon as Sherri gets here, I’m moving Isabella up to my room. There’s an en suite bathroom, the bed is comfier, and I’ll be able to keep a better eye on her. The room she’s in now is normally for any vets or extra hands that might need to stay the night.
With all the bruising on her body, it’s easy to see she’s been abused for a long time. Longer than she’s been in town even, I suspect. So, when she allowed me to pick her up, I was shocked that she relaxed in my arms. I expected to her to remain stiff as a board.
I’ve always felt there was something between Bella and me. Even given we hadn’t spoken to each other. We always sensed when the other was around. At least, that’s how it felt to me. I could spot her in any crowd, and when I did, her gaze would have almost always found mine already.
My brothers were always the ones to catch the girls’ interest. I’d been more focused and work driven. Crew is still a manwhore, fucking anything he can as often as he can, and Crux was never a player, more like just disinterested. Until he spotted Farren. And as much as we teased him about it, I think I understand what he was going through now. Only I’m not going to waste my time. I’m going to go for it and put myself out there with Isabella. She’s going to know where we stand with each other, and I don’t care what it takes, she’s going to be mine.
“Umm, Cross?” Her hesitant voice calls from behind the door.
I step forward. “I’m here.”
“I need your help.” Her tone softens, a touch of embarrassment entering it.
Opening the door, I see she’s leaning heavily on the sink and slightly out of breath. “What can I do?” I immediately wrap an arm around her waist to support her.
“I’d like to brush my teeth, but every time I lean forward to spit, I get so dizzy I can barely stand.” She won’t meet my gaze.
“Okay.” I shrug. I don’t want her to think it’s a big deal. Standing behind her, I cradle her hips against mine and brace my feet on the outside of hers as I wrap one hand across her hips and the other under one arm, up across her chest to hold her shoulder in place. “If you have to bend, I’ve got you. I won’t let you fall.”
After a shuddering breath, I feel her loosen up enough to allow me to be her guide. I could have easily sat her on the counter and brushed her teeth for her, but I have the feeling that this small bit of independence is important to her.
“I’m done,” she whispers a couple minutes later. “Thank you.” She steps back away from the sink and into my chest, freezing when she feels my rigid length press against the small of her back.
“Sorry,” I mumble. Can’t be helped around her. Isabella Sharp has always elicited a visceral response in me.
“So, it’s not just me.” Her words are so quiet that I’m positive they aren’t meant for me. Biting my tongue, I want her to heal before we have a conversation about us. Picking her up again, I take her out to the kitchen and sit her at the table.
“Scrambled eggs and toast sound okay?” I ask as I step away.
“Yes. Do you have tea?” I pause at her question. No one here drinks anything but coffee, water, or beer.
“I might.” I’ll damn well make sure we do in the future. “Why don’t you put together a list of things you like, and I’ll call Sherri before she comes, and she can pick them up for you.” I make it sound like a question, but it’s not. Whatever she wants, she gets.
“You don’t have to go through no trouble for me, Cross.” Fuck do I love my name on her lips.
“It’s no trouble.” Reaching into the fridge, I grab the eggs and milk. Cracking a couple, I whisk them together as I wait on the butter to finish melting on the skillet before I pour them out. The soft sizzle as I pop the toast in the toaster is the only sound as I grab a pen and paper for her to write on.
“Thank you.” She smiles up at me, and I swear I hear angels sing.
* * *
Isabella
Watching this man cook for me, be so attentive and caring, warms my heart in ways I wasn’t sure I’d ever feel again. Camilla was all I had for so long, I never imagined the day when I could count on another person. Yet, here I am.
Cross Malcolm is so much more than the sexy cowboy with an easy smile. He’s more than a billionaire.
He’s my hero.
And I know that if anyone can help me get out from under Curtis’ thumb, it’s going to be him. But first, I have to fill him in on everything. I have to tell him that even though I’m eighteen and should be allowed to leave on my own, Curtis still has power of attorney over me. He needs to know that I’ve been institutionalized twice in the past and that’s the reason Cu
rtis took us in. He recognized that Camilla wasn’t strong enough to fight him on her own, and legally, I wouldn’t be able to until I turn twenty-one.
I’m no stranger to the ways of the world. The evil, vile creatures lurking behind handsome masks just waiting to pounce on their prey. I understand what true malevolence hides, and I wasn’t willing to let any of it touch my sister.
“Here you go.” Cross places a plate of steaming scrambled eggs and buttery toast in front of me. My mouth salivates with the desire to inhale the delectable meal. “I’m going to go give Sherri a call and be right back.” Our eyes meet, and I nod at him, but he doesn’t move. He watches me with a hypnotic stare, and when his head lowers slowly, I freeze, hold my breath, and close my eyes.
It seems like forever before I feel the soft brush of his lips against mine, and I have no idea what to do, so I remain still. I savor the tingles racing through my bloodstream. I count my erratic heartbeats, and when he pulls away, I count the seconds until we can do it again.
“Eat.” He points at the food and leaves the room.
“Oh snap,” I whisper, bringing my fingers up to my “now kissed by a man” lips and hold the feeling there for as long as I can before slowly licking across the seam. Devouring his spicy essence and wanting so much more.
As I eat the food in front of me, what was once fragrant and potentially delicious is now consumed with thoughts of dark eyes and soft lips. A protective frame and gravelly voice have me sighing as I think of all the ways Cross has protected me in the last twenty-four hours.
Twenty-four hours? Has it only been so short of a time? It feels like a lifetime that I’ve been in his home, his presence. I want it to be longer.
“Sherri will be here in an hour with everything you wrote down and a few extras I asked for.” I could listen to him talk all day long. “The sheriff is coming shortly after.” He doesn’t sound pleased.
