Page 15 of Shattered Wings

“A lot of shit is up. I put those trackers on Ben and Christina like I told you I would. Some real crazy shit happened last night, man.” This is just what I needed today. Fucking Ben.

“What happened, Remi?” The more he talks, the more the panic in his voice seems to set in.

“What happened is that I followed Ben down to the pier. I hid so he couldn’t see me and thank god for that. It wasn’t long after he got there that Christina arrived. Something felt off, so I turned my camera on and recorded the whole damn thing. Christina handed him something small and then Ben fucking killed her.” My blood turns to ice in an instant.

“What the fuck do you mean, he killed her? I don’t understand.” Why would he kill Christina? I thought they were close. It seemed like they’ve been close since our days in AIT. And what did she give him? This makes no sense whatsoever.

“Just what I said, dude. Ben went freaking psycho and killed her. He drugged her, stuck a fucking needle in her neck, threw chum out into the ocean and then put her in a cage with an open door for the sharks to get.” He didn’t say what I think he did, right? This has to be some sort of joke. I’ve never liked the woman, but I wouldn’t wish death on her or anyone else.

“What the fuck! Did you call the police?” He’s got more sense than to wait around on me. He’s likely already talked to someone at the station.

“Remember Carter? You know him. Anyway, he is a detective at the local police station. I called him right after Ben left. We met up, and I gave him the recording. He is going to figure things out on his end. But dude, Ben is a freaking psycho. He burned Christina’s car to a crisp. Covered the damn thing in gasoline and flicked a match inside. He had a rope that was attached to the cage. Sick fucker put it in a plastic bag. If he’s caught with that, he’ll be going down for her murder. Her blood has got to be all over it. He would have killed me if I wouldn’t have been hiding. I feel like shit that she died, but what the fuck was I supposed to do?” From the sound of his voice, I can tell that he’s fuming with anger towards himself. I really don’t think there’s anything that he could have done.

“Fuck! Keep me posted, Remi. Jaxon warned me to keep Ellie safe. There’s something more to this entire thing. Ben was always a little strange when we were growing up. I just ignored it, but something must have made him this messed up. This isn’t your fault, Remi. I’m sorry you had to witness that. Shit, I’m sorry for a lot of things.” I feel like complete shit. He wouldn’t have been put in this situation if I wouldn’t have asked him to put trackers on both of them. Fuck!

“Speaking of Illiana, I should have brought this to your attention before now. Ben has been snooping around her. There’s most definitely something going on with that. Maybe you need to speak to her. She might have answers, I don’t. She’ll probably be more willing to divulge more information to you than anyone else. I’m trying to pull camera footage from her neighbor’s doorbell camera. I’ll keep you posted. Expect a phone call within the next few hours.”

“Thanks for all of your help, man. I appreciate it.”

“You don’t have to thank me. You know this already. Illiana is part of our military family. We will always be there and we will protect what belongs to us. I’ll be in touch.” With that, he hangs up. He’s right though. Ellie is family, no matter what. I’m glad he sees it that way, too.

Sitting in my truck on the military base, uneasiness churns in my gut. Something’s not right with Ellie. I have this deep-seated need to get to her, to make sure she’s alright. After hearing Remi say that Ben has been snooping around her, I have been anxious all day long. I’ve never had anxiety, but today that changed. My heart has been pounding out of my chest for the better part of the day. It’s like I can sense doom approaching and if I don’t do something fast, it’s going to take us all under. The damn ocean waves that surround us will sweep us up.

Pressing call on the dash, Ellie’s name flashes on the screen. It rings a few times before her sweet voice comes through the line. “Hey Lach. I’ve been meaning to call you.” Is that guilt I hear in her voice?

“No worries, baby doll. I was wondering if I could swing by for a few minutes. I need to talk to you about something. A few something’s, actually.”

“I’m at home, so swing by any time and I’ll be here.” Luckily, I’d already started my truck and headed her way.

“Perfect! Be there in a few.”

“Sounds good. Bye, Lach.”

Pulling into Ellie’s driveway has my anxiety spiking again. Sweat beads on my forehead and slicks on the steering wheel catching my attention as I remove my sweaty palms. This will be the first time that we’ve seen each other since our very first kiss. It’s important to me that she doesn’t feel weird in front of me. I’m an asshole for saying this but, I’m dying to have her lips on mine again. I crave her sweet, pliant body pressed up against mine in a way that is painful.

Sitting in my truck, everything that’s happened hits me like a ton of bricks. I’m such a piece of shit. I’m trying to steal Jaxon’s wife. He’s gone now. She’s yours to take if she’ll have you. Fuck! All I can think about as I stare up at the front porch is all the times that Jaxon and I sat in that very spot, drinking an ice-cold beer. Our relationship changed over the years when I realized how royally he fucked up his marriage to Ellie, but I still cared about him. All the lies that he told her consumed me. All the times that I had to cover for his ass when he should have been at home. He should have been taking care of her. It almost felt like he was pushing me towards her on more than one occasion. Maybe that’s what he was truly doing. Maybe my mind is just seeing things that aren’t actually there. There’s no knowing what he was genuinely thinking. All I know is that he fucked up. But I’ll be here to pick up all the broken pieces, put her heart back together, give her the love she deserves. I can’t think about Jaxon or what he would want right now. I’ve loved Ellie for years and I’ll be damned if I let him stand between us again.

The front door opens, and Ellie sticks her head out, tossing me a wave. The sunlight hits her golden blonde hair, illuminating her like a fucking halo. My God, she’s an angel—so damn perfect. Opening my door, I hop out to greet her.

“Hey baby doll,” I call out. As I reach the front door, I lean down for a hug, wrapping my arms around her. Her sweet scent envelopes me and my heart beats just a little bit harder. Before releasing her, I give her a kiss on the forehead, and take a step back. Stepping inside, the house sounds empty which is strange. “You here alone?” I hate the thoughts that run through my mind with her here all alone. It feels unsafe.

“Mom and Lena took Blakely to the park. I’m sure they will get her all sugared up before coming back, too.” It sounds just like what the moms would do. “So what’s this little impromptu visit for? Not that I mind you visiting, but it sounded urgent.”

“Let’s go sit down on the couch. There are a few things that I need to talk to you about.”

“Okay, don’t freak a girl out or anything.” Oh, I’m probably about to scare the shit out of her.

Sitting down on her plush royal blue couch, my body finally relaxes, knowing that she’s right next to me. Fuck me! Where the hell do I even begin this conversation?

“I’m here to talk to you about Ben and Christina.” At the mention of Ben’s name, she visibly shivers, and a look of pure fear crosses her face.

“Wh…what about Ben?” she squeaks. That high-pitched voice throws me off. Maybe Remi was right.

“My buddy saw Ben and Christina out a few nights ago. They were drunk and all over one another, if you know what I mean. From what I’m told, it didn’t look like she was pregnant. I can’t be certain, but I don’t think that Christina was actually pregnant, Ellie.” Big, fat tears stream down her cheeks. All I want to do right now is hold her close and give her the comfort that she needs. But right now, I have to tell her the rest.

“There’s more, Ellie.” She looks over at me from her seat, her eyes glistening with even more unshed tears. Her eyes are the bluest that I’ve ever seen. I could stare at them all day long and never tire of them. Shit, I’m getting distracted. “What I’m about to tell you will not be easy to hear. But I need you to listen and listen well. My friend placed a tracker on both Ben and Christina. Last night, Ben murdered her.” An audible gasp leaves her lips, and her hand covers her mouth.

“What do you mean? Why would Ben kill her? That makes no sense, Lach.” No, it makes little sense. I have theories, but I’m not about to voice them to her.

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