Page 10 of Save Us
Although, I doubt she’s having a good time wherever she is either. I can’t imagine they’re breaking out the best cutlery and fine champagne for her. Unfortunately, she’s just as tainted as her husband. No one will know how truly awful he can be toward those he supposedly cares about.
“I’ve booked us two flights to New York for tomorrow morning. Your mother’s coming to take care of Rosie,” he informs me, then looks for confirmation that what’s he’s done is right.
“Great,” I reply before taking my last mouthful of whiskey. “I don’t want my girl anywhere near him or his fucked-up cronies.”
Oh, Oliver, your evil deeds are catching up with you and I’m going to enjoy watching every second of your downfall!
Chapter 4
Beth
The man in front of me, who looks the epitome of scary and powerful, now drops to the floor as if in defeat. A moment passes by before he carefully takes hold of my hands inside of his larger ones. They feel warm and almost nostalgic, like I’ve held them before but can’t remember when. Confusion rapidly seeps through my body when I look up to his face to find a tear escaping from his right eye, just before it runs into the fabric of his bandana.
“No one outside of my house has called me that in five years,” I whisper sadly, “how do you know Beth Taylor?”
A few, tense moments pass by before decision floods his soulful eyes, ones that remind me of Leo, and he slowly unties the fabric from around his face. The motion seems to last for much too long, and by the time he gets to the last fold, I’m itching to see the full face beneath it.
“Because you’re my girl, English Rose,” he smiles widely with his teeth on show.
As soon as my brain makes sense of who this is, I gasp audibly before throwing both my hands up to cover my mouth. After that, I can’t make him out at all for I have too many tears bunched up at the bottom of my eyes. Within seconds, however, he pulls me into his warm, and now, huge chest. I’m so stunned it takes me a moment or two before I allow myself to finally wrap my arms just as tightly around him.
“K?” one of my abductors grunts.
“Out!” The girl who had opened the door orders from beside our interwoven bodies.
At first, no one moves. They all seem much too stunned by this new turn of events, so much so, Kai suddenly looks up and barks at them like a rabid dog.
“You heard her; get out! And no one mention this to a single person, or I will shoot both your kneecaps off without a moment’s hesitation!”
His angry voice, his intimidating look, together with the threat he’s just thrown out without even thinking about it, has me staring at my old friend with a look of deep shock, concern, and fear. Once the door closes behind the men, he finally stands up tall and reaches his hand out for mine. For a moment or two, I question it, feeling a little scared of him if I’m being honest. It’s only when his eyes soften and his tight lips break into a wide smile, one that takes me back to our lunches together, that I allow myself to see him as the old Kai again.
As if reading my thoughts, he pulls out the keyring I had gifted him all those years ago. It’s enough to snap me out of my trepidation and to take hold of his outstretched hand. We smile at one another before he waggles our intertwined hands and leads me over to his desk where the girl begins pouring us a glass of something dark and ominous.
“Brandy?” she asks as she holds it out toward me. I eye both her and the glass with skepticism, but eventually accept it before she sits in the chair next to me.
“Beth, I thought…I mean, I went to…fuck!” Kai leans his elbows onto his desk, then drops his head heavily inside of his hands, obviously at a loss over my sudden return from the dead.
“My name is Angela Lawrence now,” I reply with shell-shocked eyes, probably looking and sounding like I’ve been brainwashed. I guess, in a way, I have, except I’m more than aware of how horrendous my situation is. “Beth Taylor died the day her daughter was ripped away from her.”
“I don’t understand,” Kai says as he looks back up at me, “how? Why?”
“Oh, K,” the girl answers for me with a sigh of exasperation, “it’s obvious, isn’t it?”
I look at her, taking a few moments to study the similarities between her and the man before me, no doubt looking just as confused as Kai is.
“Oh, Beth, this is my sister, Serena. Serena, this is my best friend, Beth…shit!” He laughs and shakes his head as if in disbelief. “I never thought I’d get to say that again; come the fuck here!”
Before I know it, he’s leaped to his feet and is lifting me effortlessly out of my chair with glee, swinging me around like I weigh no more than a feather. He laughs like he used to, sounding both carefree and genuinely over the moon to see me. Unfortunately, I can’t laugh like that anymore. I lost that laugh when I married Oliver, so instead, I end up whimpering. He instantly freezes and places me back to the ground where I remain crying against him.
“Oh, baby,” he says with so much concern, I end up sobbing all the more loudly over his shoulder.
“You idiot, K,” Serena tuts as she helps me back into the chair. She proceeds to pour another brandy and gifts it to me, but this time, I willingly take it straight away. “This girl has lost everything. Can’t you see that?”
“Fuck, I’m sorry, Beth, but you are the first thing in a long time to make me smile,” he says as he sinks to the floor in front of me and links our hands back together.
“I’m sorry, Kai,” I continue to cry, “I’m not who I once was and if you had pulled that trigger, you would have been doing me a favor. Like putting a sick, old dog out of its misery!”
“Why can’t you leave him?” Serena asks the obvious.