Her Love Ran Crimson (Crimson Series) Read online

  “What the hell happened this morning? You looked so terrified and I wanted to help you, but you didn’t give me a chance.”

  “It was nothing. It’s not your problem. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to freak you out,” I say hoping this is enough to get him off the subject. He just stands there staring at me as if he can sense that I am close to a breakdown again. He stays by my side and follows me down the hall to our next class. This is the most uncomfortable class yet. All he does is stare at me. I see it in his eyes that he is trying to figure things out, trying to see what he could possibly do to get me to talk to him. I make no attempt to put him at ease and I know this is definitely going to be hard to stay away from him. I don’t know why he cares. He doesn’t even know me, yet he is trying to get inside, which is only going to make things more dangerous and put him at risk. I will not drag anybody else into this mess my stepfather has made. No other life will be lost due to Frank’s problems. All I can do to try and calm my nerves that have taken over my body is to take deep breaths and try to dismiss this conversation. I am scared and nervous, but at the same time I also feel butterflies flittering in my stomach every time he looks at me with those gentle eyes.

  ****

  The rest of my day is uneventful. As always, I eat in the library. Nobody likes to come in there to socialize. The only people who do are students who want to finish up assignments or get ahead and have no want to talk or engage with others. This is the most calming, quiet place for me to hang out during lunch. It gives me time to reflect on the current situation at hand. I shoot my stepfather a quick text.

  Me: Why didn’t you tell me Dixon was back and why did you send me there?

  Frank: He asked me to send you. We are back in biz together. Things are fine.

  Me: He followed me to school today. You are blatantly putting me in the mix again.

  Frank: You’re fine. He isn’t here for trouble. He just needs to make some money.

  Seeing how this conversation is going nowhere, I throw my phone back in my purse and look up to the clock and see the bell is about to ring. I clean up my spot and head to my next class. I have two classes left for the day and then I can try and put this day out of my head and figure out my next move. I may have to get out of town sooner than I thought.

  ****

  I dreadfully make it through the day. I make a stop at my locker before I head out to leave to make a quick drop off of books I don’t need tonight for homework, trying to make my back pack as light as possible. As I walk down the hallway I get this chilling feeling all over my body. I glance around noticing nothing is different, so I try to shake it off. I make my way to my car. Just as I am entering the gate I freeze, totally shocked to see what is in front of me. All my windows have been broken out and my tires are slashed. As I stare at the calculated mess, I feel panic start to set in. He wanted me to have no way out. I look in every direction trying to find him. I can feel Dixon’s presence. I know he is watching me. Dixon is getting a good thrill out of me being stuck with nowhere to go. Arms fly around me. I start swinging my arms at whatever is holding me when I hear Jase say calmly in my ear, “It’s okay. I got you. It’s just me, Jase.”

  I instantly relax a bit. It’s strange that for the moment I feel a little safer. He draws me away from him just a little bit and looks at me. I melt in his arms. Instead of the disgust I was expecting to see in his eyes, I saw sincere concern.

  “Who did this? We need to make a report with the police. How did this happen? The gates are locked when the bell rings. Nobody can get in or out?”

  I want to tell him. I want this off my chest. I know it’s not something I can do, so I just make an excuse, “No, it’s okay. I am going to call my stepfather to pick me up and see what he wants to do. The car is under his name, so he will have to file a report, not me.”

  “Please, Maddie, let me take you home at least. You look pale and scared and I want to get you out of here. This doesn’t look like a random act of vandalism. I won’t leave you here by yourself.”

  I can tell he is not going to take no for an answer, so I just stand there looking at him, trying figure out what to say. When he puts his hand on the small of my back to guide me toward his car fireworks go off inside me. It feels like an electric current running through me. I don’t make a move to try and escape his touch. He hits the unlock button on his brand new shiny black Range Rover, helps me into the seat and closes the door. He walks around the front of the car, watching me like he is afraid I am going to throw the door open and run away. What he doesn’t know is I won’t run. I don’t know why, but I feel so safe in his car with him here that I wouldn’t run. Not now. He gets in the car and turns to me not breaking eye contact.

  “Are you okay?”

  I nod, knowing it is a lie, but I just don’t have any words at this moment, so I sit here drinking him in. He is the only person who has tried to help me. Everybody else here looks at me like I’m a monster. I’m going to allow myself, just one time, to be caught up in the moment because I know this is going to end the day he hears what happened when my heart died and my world fell apart.

  When he finally pulls his eyes from me I ask him the one question I need to know. “Why are you helping me? I haven’t been very nice to you and there are plenty other girls that are prettier than I am that you can be having a good ole time with?”

  He chuckles as if what I had just said was amusing. He clears his throat and calmly states, “Because I want to help you. Something has drawn me to you and I don’t know what it is, but I just can’t leave you alone. I have a pull to you that goes deeper than your outer beauty.”

  Did he just call me beautiful? I start to feel uneasy and nauseous. Dixon told me I was beautiful. He said he was doing this because I was beautiful and he wanted to ruin what was beautiful about me. He said it was payback to Frank for screwing him over and to me for my smart-assed attitude toward him, always acting like I was better than him and his life. Jase obviously noticed my change in demeanor.

  “Did I say something wrong?”

  I just flat out tell him, “I’m not beautiful. Please don’t call me that. You can’t help me. It’s too late. What’s done is done. I don’t want to be saved. This is my punishment.” It comes out in a rush and probably more rudely than I want it to. I take a deep breath to calm my nerves.

  “Please don’t say that about yourself. I don’t know what is going on, but I would really like to help you. I won’t stand listening to you tear yourself apart.”

  I flinch at that one. He doesn’t understand and I know I am not making this any easier for him. I’m leaving him in the dark. I know I can’t trust anybody, but he is wearing me down with his concern and unconditional kindness. At some point I am going to have to put some distance between us, so this doesn’t become an even bigger mess than it already is. He starts up the car and turns to me.

  “So where am I going? What’s your address so I can put it in the navigation?”

  I give him the major cross streets. I don’t want him to see where I live, but I also don’t want Frank to see me being dropped off. If he sees this car he will begin to draw up some sort of plan knowing Jase obviously has money. I will not drag another innocent person down. That is how my mom was killed. She was planning on leaving my stepfather. She had a marvelous plan and was just about to execute it and take us into hiding to break free, but somebody had found out and word got out. I was used as a pawn in the sick game. I broke free of my thoughts just as we are arriving at my cross streets.

  “Thank you for taking me home. You really didn’t have to do this.”

  “What are you going to do about your car?”

  “My stepfather will go for it and file the report,” Of course I know he won’t. I hop out of the car and wave to Jase as he drives away.

  He calls out the window, “See you tomorrow.”

  I start my short walk home thinking only of Jase. He seems different than anybody else in that school. I wonder why he came here
halfway through the year and what this is, going on between us. I know I will have to say good bye to him soon, so I let the thought and image of him linger in my head. As I approach my house, I stop abruptly. I see Dixon’s car parked outside. I look to the porch and see him talking to Frank. I want to turn and run away, but I know I can’t.

  As I stand there staring up at the porch, I try to build up some sort of confidence to move forward. I brush off the non-existent lint from my shirt and try to stand tall because I know he came here to scare me, to intimidate me, to send me a warning.. I have to act strong even if I wasn’t...yet. He knows he gets whatever he wants, which he made very clear the day my mother was killed. He also proved that coming back here, showing he didn’t care about anything other than what he wants. I walk up to the porch, putting on the bravest face I can manage “What are you doing here?” I stood straighter trying to show some sort of strength, or back bone that I surely don’t have. The devilish chuckle that came out of him made me want to run and hide, but I stand my ground because I know there isn’t any other way.

  “Sweet Maddison, are you always so rude to your guests?”

  “Seeing as you are not welcome here, you are not a guest. I was just coming home to tell Frank what you have done and how much money you have cost him.” Finally I look over to Frank. He is gritting his teeth at me. I am scared for a moment as I watch anger enrage his eyes.

  “Maddie dear…”

  I cringe at the false endearment.

  “I told you that we are back in business together. I will not have you doing anything to mess that up for me. You did enough damage the last time you tried to meddle in my personal business.”

  Feeling complete defeat, I shut my mouth and walk into the house. As I pass Frank, I ask him, “How much do you owe this time?” When he doesn’t respond I know he is in deeper than I ever imagined. I slam the door behind me as I walk down the hallway to my room. I close my door and sink to the floor holding myself together only by the comfort of hugging myself tightly. I am so completely frightened thinking what this means for me. I let the sobs wrack my body and take over. I have nobody. I am completely alone in this. For a moment I allow Jase’s face flash in my head before I disregard it and let the hidden pain spill out of me.

  I miss my mom. She was my best friend. She knew things were getting out of hand and she tried her hardest to get us out of here. If only I had just complied and done what was ordered of me, she would still be here with me. We would have been thousands of miles away living together, happy knowing we got away. Frank was not always with us as I was growing up. Once my mother figured it out that my real father was never going to show face, she moved on trying to find somebody who would show any interest in her and I. Frank was a smooth guy, my mother worked, and she provided for me. Frank was just a con artist looking for someone to mooch off of. He pretended to love her and because she was so lonely, she convinced herself that this was love. She was broken when my real father left her the day she told him she was pregnant. They weren’t married. They were just dating at that point and having a good time. They were young and still finding themselves. When she told him she was pregnant, he fled. He never came back. She always held out hope that he was just scared and would realize he made a mistake and would come back. That never happened.

  Frank came along when I was a little over four years old. He bombarded his way into our home and life, pretending to care and love us. He adopted me, pretending to love me only so he could make sure there was nothing she could do to get away from him. He was comfortable not having to work a normal job, doing his dealing from the house because she wasn’t home during the day. It took a long time for my mom to figure it out. Finally when she did, she was already in too deep. Frank use to hit my mom. She was terrified to leave him, saying he would find her and drag her back.

  A loud banging on my door startles me out of my memories. I jump up to answer it, but Frank takes the liberty of barging in before I get a chance. I know this is going to be a fight.

  “How could you be so stupid? You should have never talked to him that way. You know what he is capable of. Do I need to remind you that your mother is gone and you should be too, so if you want to mouth off to him go ahead, but you will end up like your mother.”

  He’s so close to my face I can feel the spray of his words shower me. I am shaking with pure fear, but the anger running through me gives me the push I need to yell back. “He followed me to school, Frank. He knew where to find me because you sent me to his house. You gave me no clue about who I was going to drop off the package to. You put me in danger, not me. He broke out all the windows in my car and slashed my tires, so don’t stand here and tell me how much damage he can do. I already know. My mother is dead because of you and your poor choices.”

  It all came out in a rush and I finally take a much need breath. I am so worked up I just want to smash something. I count to twenty to try and stop some of the adrenaline pumping through my veins. “This is your mess. Clean it up or I will tell somebody this time. I am not covering for you anymore. I won’t live my life in this fucked up bubble you have us in anymore, Frank!” Then it happens so fast I don’t even have time to protect myself. He slaps me straight across the face and the force throws me to the floor. I hold my stinging cheek, trying to force back the tears that I don’t want to shed in front of him.

  “Don’t be an ungrateful little bitch. I will go get your car taken care of and then you will do exactly what I tell you to do. You live under my roof. You will not mess this up for me again,” he spits out between clenched teeth.

  I swear I can see the steam rising off from him from the heated anger he is throwing out at me. He slams the door on his way out so hard the walls shake. With that I just give up and hurl myself onto my bed and cry again until sleep comes and finds me.

  Chapter Three

  I wake up screaming and kicking the sheets. They feel like they are suffocating me, which is an all too familiar feeling. It’s pitch black in my room. I make my way across my room, blind in the dark, feeling with my hands in front of me feeling for the light switch. I flip the switch and rub my eyes as they adjust to the bright light. I go in search of my backpack, which has my purse in it, to find my phone to see what time it is. I notice I have a text message.

  Unknown: That was just a warning today. Don’t you forget who I am and what I could do.

  I hurry and hit delete on the message and close my eyes for a second, knowing this is not going to end unless I do something about it. What, I don’t know yet, but something. I finally open my eyes and check the time. I can’t believe it’s already 5:45 in the morning. I have no clue how I have slept this long seeing as I went to bed way before the sun even set. The fight with Frank has completely exhausted me. I still feel like I can sleep some more, but instead decide it’s time to start getting ready for school. My stomach grumbles angrily from skipping dinner last night. It’s a necessity to stop and get my coffee fix so I’ll just grab a bagel from the local coffee shop. I slowly open my door and peek out. The house is still dark and quiet. I sneak off to the bathroom, trying to be as quiet as I can while I take the world’s fastest shower and finish getting ready.

  Thankfully, when I look in the mirror I notice that the blow to my face last night didn’t leave a huge mark. I really had no desire to explain what happened if anybody bothered to notice, so I covered it with a little concealer. I still have an hour and a half before school starts, which is a good thing because I never got a chance to do my homework. I tip toe out of my room and down the hall, happy I hear nothing. I make it out without Frank knowing and hurry to my car. It’s all fixed up already as he said it would be. The only reason he fixes it up so fast is because I am his little errand girl when it suits him. In his line of money-making he has people everywhere.

  I drive to my favorite local coffee shop like I do every morning, unless I have an errand to run for Frank. I drool at the display case holding the most scrumptious pastries, little ca
kes, and homemade doughnuts. They are the best bakery around. I place my order and nibble on the delicious chocolate croissant as I wait for my coffee. When I get my coffee, I head to a table, hoping I have enough time to finish all of my homework before school. I am cutting it really close. I pick a table against the window in the corner away from the morning crowd. Just as I get comfortable, I notice a black Range Rover pull into the parking lot. I hold my breath nervously. What are the odds that Jase might be in that SUV?

  Whoever is in the car is taking a really long time getting out. I feel like I’m on the brink of passing out from the lack of oxygen. I can’t help but hold my breath in anticipation. I exhale a deep sigh of relief when I see a woman get out. I am a little disappointed because I wanted it to be Jase. I wanted him to tell me everything was going to be okay and maybe for just a brief moment since my mother died I could feel wanted and not like a damaged monster I am now after what happened with Dixon. I can feel the little tiny sliver of hope I have at getting out of here when I turn eighteen now disappearing and seeming absolutely unattainable.

  I look at my phone and notice I have been here way too long, so I pack up quickly and get ready to start my repetitive day. Before my mom died, when I actually had some friends, I was told they couldn’t ever come to my house due to them finding out what Frank was involved in. It also wasn’t safe to bring people there. I usually hang out at the park or the Public Library to do my homework or read, or just to stay away from my house. I don’t want any part of Frank’s life, but right now I don’t have a choice and I fear for my life. I know I should tell someone, but he has made sure I can’t say anything. He has had me running things around for him for years. At first I had no clue what I was doing. Then once I got curious when I was taking an envelope to Dixon, so I peeked. Dixon caught me. He had appeared at my car window. That is when he started to make my life hell. He knew I knew and could take him down, so he silently threatened me by flashing me what was in the waist band of his black slacks. I felt my face whiten which caused him to grin in sick pleasure because he knew that would make me keep quiet.