by Sadie Jacks
I smiled. “Then let’s go scandalize your parents, shall we?”
**
I pulled up to the old sprawling stone estate that was set in the posh section of New Trenadie. My mother and her husband lived in this section of town as well. I wasn’t sure the comparison was in their favor though.
The closer we got to their house, the quieter Willow became. She was pulling inside herself, pulling away from me. I knew, even understood, why. But I didn’t like it. Would never like it when she distanced herself from me.
I reached out, grabbed her hand. I waited for her to look at me as we sat at the gate and waited for entrance. When her eyes finally lifted to mine, I said, “You and me, together. You won’t be alone in that house. You won’t be alone ever again. But definitely not with these people. We’ll leave as soon as you want. Hell, we don’t even have to go in. I think a phone call or an email would serve just as well.”
The corners of her eyes relaxed. “I love you.”
I smiled. “I love you, too. Ready to start torturing your parents?”
A fierce, predatory grin stole over her face. “Fuck yes.”
I laughed as the gate slid open. “Then let’s go butter them up so their fall will be even worse.”
Her giggle was sharp. “I’m going to Humpty Dumpty their asses.”
I kissed her knuckles. “That’s my girl.” I drove through the gates and up the drive. For the second time today, we were on a picturesque journey down a long paved driveway. The biggest difference between the Chase’s house and ours? Ours didn’t make my skin crawl.
If a space began to feel like its inhabitants, I was surprised no one had caught Beverly and Winslow Chase before now for their evil deeds. The place oozed a dark evil that crawled over my neck. It slithered against my soul.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Willow shiver. Her mouth turned down at the corners. “I hate this place. Always have, always will.”
I slid the car to a stop and we got out. She didn’t wait for me to get her from the front seat, but met me at the front of the car. Her hand out to me.
We walked up to the imposing house. It was probably just my imagination, but I could have sworn the house staff was looking at us through the curtains. Whispers of the prodigal daughter come to save them.
Beverly opened the door. She had no expression on her face. “Willow. Mr. Penn.” She nodded before stepping back, allowed us to enter.
Willow walked through, pulling me along behind her. Her fingers were trembling. She stopped once we were both inside. Turning, she looked at the woman who’d birthed her. “Mother.”
Beverly blinked. A smile came out like the sun from behind the clouds. “How are you, darling?” She reached out with both hands.
Willow’s fingers flexed against mine before she slid them from my grasp. She took her mother’s hands. They did weird air kisses on both cheeks. “I’m well. I wanted to come by and apologize for my behavior at the hospital. Ryker’s sister had just been brought into the ER. I was out of sorts.” She dropped her mother’s hands, took mine again.
Beverly nodded. “Of course, darling. I’m sorry to hear that.” She looked up at me. “Is your sister okay?”
I nodded. “Yes, ma’am. Thank you for asking.” I tried to make my tone light-hearted. Like I wasn’t imagining ripping this woman limb from limb and then beating her to death with the bloody stumps.
Beverly smiled wider. “That’s wonderful news. Family is such a treasure. Come, your father wants to see you.”
My bile rose. Family is such a treasure? Was she fucking kidding me? I bit my lip to keep from saying anything. Following along silently as Beverly took us on what had to be the longest possible route to a study that screamed ‘old school man of the house who actually hates women unless he’s fucking them.’
Willow’s fingers trembled in mine. I tightened my hold. Pulled her closer into the shelter of my body.
“Daddy,” she said. Her voice gave out for a fraction of a moment before it strengthened.
“Baby girl. I’m so happy to see you.” He waved her over to the desk. The one he couldn’t be bothered to rise from behind.
It was my turn to shake. But with rage. The bastard. Playing power games with his own daughter. Shoving their lack of respect for her in her face at every single fucking opportunity.
Willow walked over, bent at the waist.
Winslow Chase reached up, grabbed his daughter’s face. Pulling it down, he slapped two smacking kisses to her cheeks with a huge belly laugh. “Why so stiff, baby girl?” He let her go, waved her back to the far side of the desk.
She came back to my side, slid her arm around my waist. “We can’t stay long.” I heard the faintest waver in her voice. “But like I told Mother, I wanted to apologize for my behavior at the hospital. I also wanted to tell you that Ryker and I are getting married.” She raised her hand, let the simulated diamond sparkle fire around the room.
Beverly and Winslow looked aghast for a moment before they pulled their public faces back on. “Darling, that’s wonderful news. Such a powerful and rich man. I guess you were just a late bloomer.” Her mother came over, gave those pretentious air kisses again.
Winslow smiled at me. A look a father should never give to a man about to marry his daughter showed on his face. I squeezed Willow tighter to me, fought to plaster a smile on my face. The man was worse than disgusting.
“What’s Ethan say about all of this?” Winslow asked.
Willow shrugged. “I’m sure he doesn’t have a lot to say. We haven’t been married for a while now.”
I bit my lip. The man didn’t have a lot to say because he was fucking worm food. My girl was amazing.
Winslow nodded. “Well, I hope to see both of you at the gala this year. I know Willow hasn’t been there the last two years. We’ll get a chance to show off your new catch.” Winslow winked.
Willow’s spine stiffened. “Yes, we’ll be there. We’d like to make an announcement, if that’s alright. Sort of put out to the public, as it were.” She looked between her parents. “Would that be acceptable?”
Beverly clapped like a high school cheerleader on crack. “Oh darling, that sounds wonderful. I’ll add you to the schedule. Do you have a wedding planner? Do you have a date? I’ll get our guest list ready. You just let me know the dates. I’ll help you plan everything. It will be the social event of the season.” She clapped again.
Willow dug her fingers into my hip. “We don’t have a date yet, but I’m hoping to have that nailed down by Friday night. You really don’t mind sharing your night with us?”
Beverly shook her head, her blonde hair didn’t move in the slightest. “Of course not, darling. We can’t wait to spread the word that a Penn is joining the family.” She looked at me. “We’ll have to invite your mother and step-father. Send me their details, I’ll get them an invitation immediately.”
I dipped my head. “That is very generous of you. I’ll do that.” The more the fucking merrier to the party of the season. Did she really want to invite one of the women her husband had raped to come to her party as if nothing was wrong? As if there wasn’t anything wrong with that request? I wanted to shove my hand through her rib cage, rip out her heart, and drink from it while she watched.
Willow looked up at me. A silent plea in her eyes. I took my cue from her. “Cupcake, we need to get going. The realtor is waiting for us to sign the papers.”
“Oh, you’ve bought a house.” Beverly went off on her clapping again. “That’s wonderful. We’ll have to arrange a party. Send me your new address. I’ll arrange everything.”
Willow smiled. “Of course, mother. I wouldn’t have it any other way. Goodbye, Daddy. We’ll see you both on Friday night.”
“Bye, baby girl. Treat your man well this time, and you might keep him longer,” Winslow said, a mocking smile on his face.
I gave a wave, too incensed to keep up the façade. My tone of voice would give me away.
“You alw
ays have the best advice, Daddy. I’ll try to remember that. See you both Friday,” Willow said. In what could only be termed an inconspicuous sprint, Willow had us angled back through the house and out to the car in no less than two minutes. Apparently, Beverly had wanted to give me the ‘look how rich and sophisticated we are’ route.
I helped Willow into the front seat. Her nails were digging into her palms, her eyes closed. “Hurry, hero. Take me home. Please.” She looked up at me. “Hurry.”
I raced around, got in the car, and backed us out. We rocketed towards the gate. With only air between the front bumper and the gate, we sailed through.
I grabbed Willow’s hand, locked my grip around hers. “Tell me what you need, Willow.”
She shook her head. Tears fell from her closed eyes as her breath started sobbing through her chest. “I-I-I-I don’t-t-t-t knoo-o-w.”
I jabbed the button on my steering wheel. “Jessa Sweeten.”
“Connecting.” I got us out of the Chases’ neighborhood as quickly as possible. As soon as I saw a parking lot, I turned us in.
“Hey, Ryke, what’s going on?”
“We just left the Chases’. Willow’s having a panic attack, I think. What do we do?”
“Open some windows. Willow, can you hear me?”
Willow’s eyes squeezed shut. “Y-y-y-yesssss.”
“I want you to open your eyes, grab Ryker’s hands, and look into those pretty green eyeballs for me.”
The windows down, I turned to my girl. I had my hands out by the time she got control of her trembling body. I pulled her hands into mine.
“Doing it, babe?”
“Y-y-y-yesss.”
“Excellent. Now, Ryker, you’re going to give her gradually increasing pain. You’ll both know when to stop. Once Willow’s breathing returns to normal, go get a soda. Full sugar, full caffeine. Call me when you get to that step.” She hung up.
Willow looked up at me, her sage eyes wide. The expression in them was on the verge of breaking my heart. She was asking me to save her. Give her sweet pain to bring her back to me.
“I’ve got you, cupcake.” I took a deep breath. “Sharp or thuddy?”
She shook her head, her eyes widening even more. She was out of time and out of the capacity to choose.
I gradually increased my hold on her hands. As I applied more pressure, her eyelids went back to normal.
As I felt her bones rub together, her stuttering chest evened out.
As the tendons and ligaments in my hands made faint popping noises, her breathing slid into a regular rhythm. We sat like that for time unending, each gazing directly into the other’s eyes. I felt like I could see her soul, that she could see mine.
It was breathtaking in all the good ways.
After a long time, her eyelids fluttered shut on a sigh.
I eased the pressure in our hands. Wanted to shake mine out. Wanted to kiss hers all over.
She leaned forward, raised her face silently.
I met her in the middle. Settled my lips on hers.
She sighed again. “Thank you, hero.”
I smiled, our mouths still touching. “Anytime, cupcake. Anytime at all.”
She leaned back, blinked a couple times. She nodded. Swallowed. “I think I know why Jessa suggested the soda.”
I rolled the windows back up and got us back on the road. “What’s your poison?”
“I haven’t had soda in ages. I guess Coke? The lemony ones don’t have caffeine.”
I nodded and started searching for the nearest fast food restaurant. I kept her left hand in mine. Massaged the skin, the muscles.
“How’s the ring feeling? Did I crush it into your bones too hard?”
She reached out with her right hand, wiggled the big stone. “Fine and no. Although we might have bent the ring a little.” She pulled it off her left ring finger.
We both chuckled at the slight mar in the perfect circle.
“Note to self, get a ring with stronger metal,” I said softly.
She giggled. She almost sounded back to her regular self. “I think the gold of my ring is stronger.”
I smiled at hearing her claim the ring as hers. She really was excited to wear it. I was beyond ecstatic for her to wear it.
“There,” she pointed to the left. “Sonic. They have the best ice. I can crunch it once the soda is gone.”
I pulled into the drive thru. Ordered her the soda. As I was paying, she flipped the main display to the phone function, called Jessa.
“How’s she doing?” Jessa asked in lieu of a greeting.
“I’m better, Jessa. Ryker’s getting the Coke for me.”
“Excellent, babe. Now, when you get back home, I want you both to take a long hot bath. Preferably together. If Ryker doesn’t want to get wet, he needs to at least sit with you while you soak. We need to get those muscles all wrung out before aches set in. So, down the soda, take the bath. Once you’re done with the bath, eat something high in fat and protein. Lay off the carbs for a bit.” She paused. “Just don’t tell Momma I said that.”
Willow and I both chuckled.
“Good. Laughter is good. Oh! Tali told me that we’re going to get all dolled up and shove your parents into the proverbial toilet. Huzzah! I love a good public lynching. See you later for dress shopping. Love you both, bye!” She hung up again.
I handed Willow the soda, watched her start sipping on it. “I’m down for the hot bath. But I don’t know that we can use yours. Both of us won’t fit in there.”
She smiled around her straw. “How do you feel about hot tubs?”
I snorted. “You have a hot tub?”
She shook her head. “Not me, but Turo does. So no hanky panky. You game?”
I pouted about the no hanky panky part, but this was more medicinal than sexy, so I guess I could suffer through it. I nodded. “We didn’t pack suits. Or at least I didn’t.”
Willow waved that away. “Turo has extras.” She leaned forward, input another number. “I need to start remembering to carry my phone. Three weeks without one, and I got out of the habit.”
I nodded. “Yes, you do. Even if you just carry your phone, your license, and a credit card, I would feel better about you out of my sight if I could contact you.” I was willing to attach it to her body so I could call her whenever I wanted.
She smiled, nodded. “I’ll get one of those phone clutch thingies. Tali has tons of them.”
“Penn?” Turo asked.
“And Willow,” the woman herself said.
“Hey, what’s up?” the oldest Amatucci brother’s voice warmed considerably. What was I, chopped liver?
“I had a panic attack. We need to use your hot tub. Is that okay?” Willow said. No fuss, no muss. Just a pure statement of fact.
“Sure, sorella. You good? Do I need to kick someone’s ass?”
I laughed. “Oh, we’re going to. On Friday night. Bring your shit kickers. You don’t want to hurt a toe or touch their filth.”
Turo snarled. “You went to the Chases’.”
Willow nodded. “Yeah, and only one little freak out, so I think that’s moving in the right direction.”
Turo chuckled. “Good for you, Willow. I always knew you had it in you. What’s the story you gave them?”
“Nothing but the truth. Although the announcement they’re allowing us to make is not the one they’re expecting.” Her giggle was slightly evil. “So there’s that.”
“And a little salve for the freak out. Excellent. I’ll tell the others. I’m not at home, but you know how to get in. Extra suits are in the same place as always. Just lock up when you leave.”
“Thanks, Turo. Amo tuo, fratello.”
“Ti amo anch’io.” He hung up.
“Turn left at the next light. He lives in Bakers Dozen.”
I laughed. “Seriously?”
She turned to me. Smiled. “Yup. I helped him pick it out before I left for culinary school. I thought it was fitting.”
&nb
sp; Chapter 36 – Willow
As we turned into the eclectic part of New Trenadie, I sucked on my soda. Grimaced at all the sugar. But I did have to admit that my brain wasn’t as foggy and my body wasn’t super angry at me yet. I would toss back this whole thing if it meant I didn’t get the body aches and headaches I usually did with my panic attacks.
I smiled as we drove down the street. Bakers Dozen was so named because it was literally a small neighborhood of thirteen homes. Each one was different like getting a baker’s dozen premium cookies, cupcakes, or donuts. No cookie cutter homes here. Which would have been even punnier, but much less visually interesting.
Luckily each home was as unique as a fingerprint. There was a Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired house. One that looked like a gingerbread house with some of the most elaborate molding I’d ever seen. If there was a kind of house that stood out from the others in style and design, there was one of them here.
As for Turo’s house, it was severely modern. Huge boxes, sharp lines, open concept. It looked slightly science fiction, but it fit like a hand in a glove in this neighborhood.
I pointed it out and watched Ryker’s expression as he drove us up the polished concrete driveway. According to Turo, the driveway was just as important as the house. And since he had the same kinds of trees lining his driveway as his neighbors, he wanted something that made him stand out.
Ryker blinked a few times. “Turo lives here?”
I chuckled. “Yup. Has for almost seven years now.”
He shook his head as he pulled to a stop. “This is wild. I’ve never been up here before.”
“Wait until you see the inside.” I waited for him to come get me from the car. It was kinda nice being treated like a lady instead of an object.
He took my hand and let me lead him into the garage after I punched in the code. While only two spots could be seen from the driveaway, once you got in the space, you realized that it held at least five cars. Three vintage, one SUV. He was probably driving his everyday car, a black Cadillac CTS.
