Page 20 of Embracing My Nightmare
I caught his eyes with mine and reached into my desk drawer. Tossing the baggie onto the desk, he whistled through his teeth and smirked at me. Shrugging, I leaned back in the chair, content with knowing that soon, my lamb could live in peace, secure in the knowledge I sent every one of her tormentors to hell.
“What can I say?” I replied, putting the baggie back in the drawer. I picked up the knife, running the blade along the stone, sharpening it to a razor’s point. “Drug addicts relapse all the time. Too bad for him, he got a hot shot and it was too much for his heart to handle.”
“Are you ever going to tell Elise?” he asked, and my cold eyes turned to him.
“She doesn’t need to know. He’s getting what he deserves, and I need to take care of this myself. No offense, but I need that bastard’s blood on my hands, to know I was the one who finally sent him to hell where he belongs. Besides, my lamb is strong. I got a little carried away this morning and she put me to my knees briefly.”
Fighting hard to not laugh, his body shook until he couldn’t contain it anymore. With tears rolling down his joyous face, he leaned forward. I felt myself chuckling at her sudden strikes to me this morning.
“She punched me in the chest and had my knee out from under me in less than ten seconds. None of it hurt, but fuck if it didn’t catch me off guard. It’s a good thing I knew about her gun. I unloaded it before I left, or I may have taken one to the chest.”
“Holy shit! That’s hilarious!” he laughed, slapping his knee while I rubbed my chest in a mock pain.
“I guess Chuck was the best choiceafter all.” I smiled, knowing how good of a person he and Blaire were and how much they loved my lamb.
I hadn’t known him directly, but I had heard stories about him years ago. I knew all about his fucked-up younger brother too. Cameron was a waste of space on the planet who I was surprised to learn was still alive. Or at least he was three years ago when I saw him in Boston. He was hustling for money and had developed a bad gambling habit.
As long as he stayed away from my lamb, he could live. When it was time for Elise to be moved into a foster home, I made sure Chuck and Blaire Thompson were at the top of the list. He had lost the ability to have children when he was injured overseas, and I thought they would be perfect to protect Elise—loving, devoted, hard-working, and street smart.
I ran my hand down my face, thinking of all the secrets I had. If Elise ever found them out, I would lose her and everything I built. Losing my lamb would be the end of me. Meeting James’s eyes, he nodded, knowing how deep I was with her.
“Keep her in your sights, James.”
He stood and left me alone in the office as I packed the small bag and gathered my weapons. It was time to end this nightmare once and for all.
Chapter 7
Elise
Iwoke up alone inmy apartment again and this time, I knew it could be days before Devlin returned. Picking up my phone, I saw he programmed his number into my contacts, and I smiled like a giddy schoolgirl. The part of me that loved Devlin from the moment I heard him beating by abusers was jumping around, screaming into the air how happy she was.
I got up, put on a pair of yoga pants and a t-shirt, needing to walk off some nervous energy that was coursing through my veins. I grabbed my phone and keys, hurrying across the street. Starting down the path around the front of the lake, I enjoyed the sunlight shining down on my face. As I approached the picnic pavilion, I saw there was a small craft fair set up to the side.
Walking through the tents, I sampled homemade breads and cookies, wishing I brought my wallet with me. My spirits were soaring, and I was on top of the world as I moved away from the festivities and let my feet guide me down the path. Gone were the feelings of rejection and in its place was hope.
There was more to the story than what Devlin was telling me but knowing how far he went to protect me, to keep me close, pushed my need for answers away. As long as I had him in my life, there would always be time to dig through the past. The weight pressing down on me reduced as I continued moving around the lake, enjoying the ducks that paddled on this part of the water.
