Pretty Bitches (34 page)

I stopped right inside the door and watched from the window. Cailen and Alick stalked across the parking lot stopping feet from the car. Graham shoved off the car and said something to Cailen smiling. In one quick motion his head flew back on his shoulders and he fell limply back to the ground.

Two of the men flew on top of him swinging. He was like lightening with his fists landing blow after blow between the two men. Alick was fending the other two in the same fashion. Pounding punch after punch in their faces. Blood was splattering the car and the ground all around them.

Cailen seemed to have a spurt of adrenaline because he charged the two men and rammed his elbow into one’s face sending him to the ground. He turned for the other guy who was backing away and reared back sending his fist into his throat knocking him against the car gasping.

He gripped the other man’s face beside him and landed a series of lethal punches to his face before he rammed his head into the ground. Graham was getting to his feet when Cailen rushed him gripping him by the throat and holding him off the ground. Graham laughed then Cailen dropped him to his feet and began pummeling him against the wall. Blood was spraying the white stucco and Cailen was mercilessly smacking his fist into his face and ribs over and over at incredible speed. Terror filled my belly and I knew if I didn’t stop him he was going to kill him.

I slammed through the door running toward him, screaming his name. He never registered me and by the time I made it to him Graham was a bloody heap on the ground as Cailen kicked him over and over. I ran up behind him screaming and grabbed his arm before he landed another punch.

That one motion was a mistake. The sheer strength behind his arm was like a bull hitting me at a hundred miles an hour. His elbow made contact with my chest and catapulted me backward landing me on the gravel and sliding me several feet against the sharp rocks. The force of that hit knocked the breath out of me and I lay there struggling to breathe.

Lila came running to my side and I finally sucked in a strangled breath. Cailen looked over at me and sheer horror came across his face. Alick came running and dropped to his knees beside me. Cailen was frozen in horror. I watched as tears welled in his eyes as he saw me lying on the ground.

I didn’t know what to feel at that moment. I loved Cailen but this side of him was darker than I had ever imagined. He would never hurt me intentionally I knew that with certainty but it was the accidental kind that scared me. His past demons spawning his anger and bringing a side out of him he wanted to remain buried.

Alick pulled my face from Cailen’s. “Emberly, are you ok?” He asked in a panicked tone.

I turned my eyes back to Cailen. “You were going to kill him. I had to stop you, Cailen. I was scared you were going to throw your life away for that piece of trash.” My voice was remarkably strong and steady.

He just stared at me many emotions flitting across his face. Alick reached under my arm to lift me and I realized exactly how badly I skidded across the rocky surface. Blood was running down my thighs wrapping around my ankles. Skin was stripped from my hip and backside. Cailen sucked in a sharp gasp when his eyes focused on the torn flesh. It hurt like hell but I pushed one leg in front of the other and stopped directly at his face. I stretched out my arm to clasp his hand. The broken man staring back at me was crushing. The fire in his eyes was gone.

I took that last step and wrapped my arms around his neck pulling him close to me. I needed to feel his strength around me but he stood there rigid not returning my embrace. That hurt worse than any physical pain coursing through my body.

I pulled back to look into his eyes and there was nothing but torment. “Cailen, hold me, please. Right now all I need to know that you love me more than your demons. Please!” I begged.

His expression was torn and I watched the internal struggle he had before he finally grabbed my shoulders and pulled me tight against his chest. It felt so indescribable. After all the horror I needed his strength. I could help him through this hell but he would have to let me.

Alick walked up behind me. “Cai, we need to get out of here. The police will be here any minute.”

Cailen pulled back and gripped my hand pulling me toward the car. Graham was still balled in a bloody heap next to the wall and the four men were in stages of getting to their feet. When we got to the car Cailen opened my door and help guide me into the seat keeping the marred skin free from touching anything.

The drive home was silent. Alick was holding Lila tight against his side while she let tears fall down her face. My hip was throbbing and I could feel gravel stuck to the flesh. Cailen stared at the road, his chest heaving.

I was suddenly terrified that I wouldn’t be enough to keep him with me. The emotion on his face looked a hell of a lot like resolve and if he wasn’t willing to fight for me then it was never going to work.

He picked me up off the seat and clenched when I gasped at the pain. He carried me to the bathroom and pulled my dress over my head. I looked in the mirror and my jaw dropped. There was no skin left on the entire side of my left hip and the side of my thigh was grated with gravel marks all the way around to my backside.

Cailen turned his head and clenched his fist. I walked up behind him and placed my hand between his shoulder blades. “You have to talk to me, Cailen. You can’t shut me out.”

He made no move and didn’t say a word. I pulled his arm around to face me. “Cailen don’t you dare shut me out. I gave up everything for you. I gave you everything I have. I gave you my fucking heart!” I screamed.

He flinched at my last words and stared into my eyes. “Emberly, I am no fucking good for you. Can’t you see! Every time I turn around I’m hurting you. Look at your leg for Christ’s sake. As long as you’re with me you’re just going to keep getting hurt over and over and I will NOT left that happen.”

“What are you saying?” He just stared at me. “What are you fucking trying to say, Cailen?” I screamed into his face.

An utter calm came across his face. “That I am going to make the decision that I can see you never will.” He turned and walked out the door without looking back.

I stood there, shocked. The horror of what just happened crashed down on me. I started screaming after him running as fast as I could. By the time I made it out the door he was slamming his car door and starting the engine.

I slammed into the side door screaming. He never looked over at me, he shifted the gear and I grabbed the handle trying to lift it but it was locked and slipped out of my grip. I slammed my hand into the window but he stepped on the gas and left me standing there, alone.

I was alone, again. Everyone I’d ever loved left me. My heart broke into a million pieces and shattered to the ground.

Lila came running from the house and grabbed me by the arms. “What happened?” She screamed.

I just stared at the tracks in the gravel where his car had just been. She shook me several times and I finally found my voice. “He left me.” I whispered.

I heard her take in a sharp breath then she pulled me into a tight hug. The tears were dry. I was hollowed out and empty. I pulled back from her embrace and walked back inside and straight to my room.

Lila followed me and I realized I was still in my bra and panties. She sat me on the tub and ran some water in the basin. “Stay right here, I’m going to go get some thing to clean that up.”

I stared into the mirror at the foreign woman looking back at me. I didn’t recognize her anymore. I was the happiest that I’d been in my life just hours ago and now I wanted to die. I just wanted to rip out the rest of the mangled mess inside my chest.

Over the next hour Lila pulled the gravel bits from my skin and disinfected the area. I pulled on my clothes and walked into the bedroom. Just the sight of the bed had me heaving. I turned my head and walked out not knowing where I was going but I couldn’t look at his memories anymore.

Alick was in the kitchen and rushed to me when I came in the room. “Emberly, I don’t know what to say. I don’t know how to fix it.”

I just shook my head and poured a glass of whisky putting it to my lips and draining the entire glass in one gulp. I sat the glass on the counter. “No one will ever be able to fix me, Alick. He broke me and there is no putting it back together again.”

He placed his hands on my shoulders. “I’m so sorry, Emberly. He loves you more than he’s ever loved anything and he thinks he is protecting you by leaving.”

“Well he didn’t protect me did he? He fucking crushed me is what he did. He took my heart and shattered it.”

Alick traced a finger across my cheek. “I’m so sorry.”

I looked into those violet eyes. “I know. So am I. I thought I was enough but clearly that was never the case.”

“You are everything to him, Emberly. Never ever forget that. No matter what happens he’ll never love another soul like he loves you. I can promise you that.”

I poured another glass full. “I can’t stay in this house. I need to get out of here.”

He nodded. “I understand. First I need to see if I can find him and make sure he doesn’t do anything incredibly stupid to himself. When I know he’s safe I’ll take you anywhere you want to go.”

My head snapped up. “What do you mean to himself? Would he hurt himself, Alick?” I asked, panic shooting through my body.

“I just don’t know, Emberly. I’ve never seen him so connected to someone like he is with you and without you to keep him from the dark I’m just scared of the outcome.”

“Take me with you. I have to see him, Alick. I knew he loved me but I thought he just didn’t love me enough. I can fight for him. I
will
fucking fight for him.”

He stared at me several moments then nodded and walked toward the front. I followed closely behind and grabbed my purse with my phone from the table.

When we were in the car I was calling him over and over. Every time it went straight to voice mail. I looked over at Alick. “Call him and find out where he is.”

He pulled his phone from his shirt pocket and dialed the number. A few seconds later I heard his voice on the other end. “Cai, where are you brother? She’s worried about you.” He shook his head in frustration. “I understand but you can’t just fucking run every time. You are making the biggest mistake of your life letting her go.” There was a pause while Cailen said something. “I’ll be there in ten minutes, just wait until I get there.”

He threw his phone against the console. “I’ve never heard him like that before. I’m scared.”

My throat closed and I felt lightheaded. “Hurry.” I breathed.

Minutes later we pulled in front of a marina. Alick jumped out and I ran after him. My feet slammed against the boards on the dock. Alick slowed and jumped onto a boat at the end of the dock. It was bigger than the one at the house but had the same layout, he slowed and walked down the side to the back cabin.

When we reached the doors Alick motioned for me to stand to the side and slid the door open. I heard Cailen’s voice and then Alick let out a long breath. I couldn’t stand it anymore and I stepped around the corner and shouldered past him. Cailen’s eyes widened when he saw me. He looked terrible. His eyes were swollen and red and the mask on his face was frozen in agony.

I walked right up to him and wrapped my arms around his neck holding as tight as I could. He gasped and buried his face in my hair wrapping his hands around my neck.

He pulled back. “You came back?” His words were laced with shock and pain.

I gripped his face in my hands. “When I said forever I meant it. I’m not going to let you leave me. I don’t work without you, Cailen. I’m different now. You changed me. It’s you and me against the world, remember.”

“I can’t keep hurting you, Emberly. I just can’t do it.” He whispered.

“Then stop trying to leave me because that is not going to hurt me, Cailen, it’s going to kill me. I promise you.” My voice was steady and calm.

He heard it too. He heard the sincerity in my words and it lit up in his face. His eyes were burning with indecision and torn emotions.