Page 55 of Coming Unraveled
She shakes her head remembering all the times she has dismissed her feelings for him, rejecting the thought of being something more, of having something more.
In the living room, she can hear Cohen speaking with Brooks about Rich and her ears perk up at the mention of his family.
“What do you mean he’s gone missing?” she asks as she scoots next to Brooks, allowing him to wrap a protective arm around her waist.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you up, even though it is kind of late,” he adds with a smirk she is sure melts plenty of panties around these parts. “Jameson called me to let me know that he’s gone black, he can’t trace him anywhere. So, Preston, your Sheriff, called his parents and they haven’t spoken to him in five years.”
“So, what do we do now?” she whispers as she looks up at Brooks.
“Well, I think we hang around here for a few more days. Obviously, Cohen and his team can keep an eye on things. And then we can go home.
“Cohen, do you know if Dylan has been brought into this?” Brooks asks. As Cohen nods she watches his eyes darken, the animal in him creeping towards the surface. “I’d like to see if we can get my friend Cliff brought in as well. He has some tricks up his sleeve I’m sure will be useful.”
Everleigh knows that Cliff is ex-military, but never wondered more than that. The large tattoo artist mostly keeps to himself.
“What kind of tricks?” she finds herself asking curiously.
“How do you think I knew where you were? Your family is sealed up tight.”
Cohen speaks up and says he will relay it all to Jameson and keep them up to date. A chill settles over Everleigh and she shivers in Brooks' arms. The thought of Rich finding her, or worse, hurting her, is almost too much to fathom.
Before she can think too much further on Rich infiltrating her solitude, Cohen speaks up, “There is something else. Jameson believes Rich may have been working under a few false aliases around the state. One has been tied to a murder in Raleigh. The police haven’t been able to tie anyone down with the homicide, but all signs are pointing to a James Witt, aka Rich Kasen.”
Everleigh can feel her face blanche at the thought of Rich hurting others, possibly killing them. She knew he always had that anger and dominance brewing in him, knew that the hate would one-day boilover, but she never imagined that he would be able to kill someone, to take the life out of a person.
“How many identities does he have?” Brooks ask as she tries to comprehend everything Cohen has presented to them.
“So far Jameson has been able to pinpoint seven over the last five years. It looks like he goes to Carson for a few weeks then stays at another city for a month or so, letting his assistant run his realty company while he rakes in the cash from the sales. Of course, this is all under the radar, so until Jameson has concrete evidence he can’t hand it over to the police.”
“Sounds pretty concrete to me,” Brooks says shaking his head back and forth.
He finally looks down at her and the corner of his lips pull low into a frown.
“Keep us up to date, but I think that’s all we need to know for now. I appreciate you all keeping watch.”
“We’re happy to do it, Eli will be on the next shift. We’ll speak soon.”
Everleigh doesn’t leave Brooks’ side as Cohen leaves through the front door. He turns her into his arms and rests his chin on the top of her head, his body attempting to comfort her as best as he can.
“I’m so sorry, sweetheart.”
Closing her eyes, she lets herself sink into her memories, the recollections that she has buried so deep inside, locked tight in a chest and key thrown away. The way Rich would choke her or hold blades to her neck whenever she did something different than he expected. The way he would call her names and demean her. The way he would strip her of her clothes without a second thought to whether she wanted it or not, and she never did.
The wetness streams down her cheeks, surprising her. The feeling of being trapped in that relationship for far longer than a teenager should have been finally expels from her.
As she sheds her tears she feels herself shedding her past, the darkness finally fading and an awakening of light, all while in the protective hold of a man with the strength to shield her, to keep her safe. Not just from Rich, but from herself.
Finally, the cries stop and she tilts her head back, causing Brooks to stand straighter. Everleigh’s chin rests on in his chest and she looks up at him, hoping he can see the love in her eyes mirroring the sentiment in his.
She practically purrs as his hand snakes through her hair, brushing it away from her face.
“What would you like to do today, well this afternoon?”
“Have you ever been here before?”
“I haven’t.”
“We used to come here every summer.”
