Strong & Wilde 2 Page 7

  Go back inside the house, Willa Mae. Please, please, please.

  “Oh, I'm so scared,” Chase taunted. “Hey, Dillon, that old woman is gonna kick your ass.”

  Seth picked up the bag, tossing it to Chase. Then he took hold of my hand.

  “Don't touch me.” I jerked my hand away.

  “Aw, Cassie, don't be that way,” he said with mocked hurt. “I just want to see how much it took for that pussy boyfriend of yours to buy his way into your panties.”

  In that moment, every ounce of fear I had vanished and I seethed with burning fury. Ever since Cody was a boy, he’d been bullied by Seth and his brothers. And he took it all in, never fighting back because he had made a promise to his father. That kind of strength made me love him even more.

  I didn’t have Cody’s strength.

  “Cody is more of a man than you’ll ever be!” I lifted my hand, swinging as hard as I could.

  There was a loud crack.

  Then silence.

  Seth’s jaw tensed, his cheek growing red. His eyes narrowed, boring into mine. He grabbed a fistful of my blouse, jerking me to him. I stumbled as my body slammed against his hard chest. With his other hand, he grasped my chin, lifting it to meet his. He was so close I could see yellow rings around his pupils, raging like a wildfire.

  “I'll show you what a real man feels like. Should’ve done it a long time ago.”

  I felt him grow hard against me.

  I screamed.

  “No! Leave me alone!” I hit his arm with my keys.

  He cursed, snatching the keys out of my hands, and tossing them to Dillon. “Open the door.”

  “Let go of her!” Willa Mae cried.

  “I got it open, Seth. Come on,” Dillon called from inside the house.

  Chase hesitated and turned to me, his pale green eyes locking with mine.

  “Please don't do this,” I pleaded with him.

  “Uh, Seth?”

  “Get your sorry ass in there,” Seth growled.

  Chase shrugged, his face looking apologetic, and walked in.

  “No! Let go of me!” I screeched, clawing and kicking. I pounded against his steel grip.

  Seth took my face into his meaty hand, pinching my cheeks so hard I howled in pain. “You're gonna learn real soon that no one messes with me.”

  Then he shoved me toward the door.

  I stumbled forward and latched onto the doorframe. I couldn’t let him get me in there. Once I was inside, there was no way I could escape them.

  “Please, don’t do this, Seth. Please!”

  Seth groaned, pressing himself hard against me. His hot breath hit against my ear. “Mmm, I like it when you beg. Believe me, you’ll be begging for more.”

  Suddenly, I felt my feet being lifted off the ground. Dillon’s cold hands were on my legs, tugging them.

  I shrieked, holding on to the doorframe in a death grip.

  “Get your ass in here,” Dillon snarled.

  “You let her go! I'm gettin' my gun!” Willa Mae yelled.

  “Shut the fuck up!” Seth raged as he tried to pry my fingers off the frame. He growled with frustration when he couldn’t get me to let go. He paused, giving me a wicked smile, and slammed the door on my fingers.

  “Noooo!” Lightning surged through my fingers, and I let go of my last hope.

  I felt myself being lifted then slammed onto the floor. And then I was falling, falling into a sea of shadows and darkness that swallowed me. Time seemed to have stopped and the only thing around me was black.

  I must’ve lost consciousness for a moment because I woke to total darkness. I felt strange like I had become detached from my body. I was neither here nor there. I was caught in a chasm of nothingness.

  In the shadows, someone whimpered.

  A girl. A little girl! How did she get into the house?

  I need to help her. She can’t be in here. Seth and his brothers might hurt her.

  I moved, struggling to get up. I’m coming, little girl. You can’t be here.

  I couldn’t move. My hands were glued above me.

  There was a blood-curdling scream. My throat was suddenly on fire.

  No! Don’t hurt her! She’s just a little girl.

  A heavy weight pressed over me. I gasped, my chest screaming for air. I couldn’t breathe.

  Sinking. Drowning.

  The little girl whimpered.

  Shh, little girl. They’ll hear you. Hide.

  Ripping. Burning.

  My body swayed. I bit my lip, fighting the nausea, the darkness that was taking over me.

  More whimpering.

  Please don’t cry. They’ll hear you. They’ll find you.

  Pressing harder. Faster. More burning.

  Don’t let them get you. You’ll die if they do.

  Liquid heat. Searing.

  Silence.

  It’s over.

  Empty.

  TWELVE: Cody

  I flew into Mr. Watson’s house. Emergency call Mr. Watson had said when he found me.

  “Cody, you come home right now. Cassie's in trouble.” Willa Mae’s voice was frantic.

  “What happened?”

  “You need to get down here and fast.”

  When I arrived at the house, I tore out of the truck in a panic. Willa Mae was sitting on the front steps of our house, a hand pressed to her chest, panting.

  “What happened, Willa Mae? Are you okay?”

  “I tried...I was...too slow...”

  “Tried what? What did you—” I eyed the shotgun leaning against the stairs.

  “Cassie!” I flew into the house. “Cassie, where are...oh my god, Cassie!”

  There were two times in my life that were so horrific they left a hole in my chest, scarring me forever. The first was when my father had died. For a while, I pretended that he wasn’t really dead. In my ten-year-old mind, I imagined he was coming back and that he was just sick. After a while, I couldn’t pretend any more. I had known the truth, it was there in front of me on the day I had last seen my father at the Huntsville prison. The gaunt cheeks, the bony arms, the lifeless smile, those were the truths that cut into my ten-year-old heart. Those truths were something no little boy should ever have to see.

  Today was the second.

  What I saw brought me to my knees and would haunt me ’til the day I died.

  Cassie lay on the floor, motionless. Tears and blood streaked her beautiful, pale face. Her shorts and tank top were strewn in tatters all over the floor. A pair of lacy panties hung around one of her ankles.

  I blinked, unable to take in what I was seeing. I reached out to her, my hands hovering, wanting to touch her, to hold her, afraid if I did I’d hurt her even more.

  Through blurred vision, I took in her once flawless legs—that I’d lovingly massaged after a long day of work—look as if they’d gotten tangled in a barbed wired fence. The caring arms that held me at night when I couldn't sleep were marred with red imprints and bruises from hands that had ferociously gripped her.

  “Cassie,” my voice croaked.

  Eyes turned to my voice and what I saw in them ripped my heart to shreds.

  They were empty.

  The sweet innocence, happiness, and the sass of a wild spirit were gone.

  Gently, I touched the one spot on her shoulder that wasn’t red or purple.

  She whimpered.

  “It’s me, Cassie. I’ve got you.”

  “Cody?” My name came out in a hoarse rasp.

  “Yes, darlin’.” Carefully, I pulled her into my arms. She buried her head into my chest and I rocked her. Her muffled cries tore at me and my heart broke again.

  “My sweet, Cassie.” I pressed my lips gently on the top of her head and rocked her.

  God, help me. Rage bubbled deep inside, threatening to take over. Who could do something like this to her?

  The door quietly opened and Willa Mae spoke in hushed tones, “We need to get her to the hospital.”

  I nodded, qu
ieting. “We’ll take her in my truck.”

  “No,” Cassie moaned when I lifted her. “I don’t want anyone to know. Please.”

  “Shh. Okay. Whatever you want, darlin’.” I took her into the bedroom. Placing her on the bed, I brushed the hair off her face, and kissed her forehead. “Get some rest.”

  “Cody, she needs to see a doctor,” Willa Mae said as she stepped into the room.

  “She doesn’t want to go. She’s been through enough.” And I wasn’t there to save her. Oh, Cassie. I’m so sorry. I’m so fucking sorry. I continued to stroke her hair as she fell asleep.

  “Did you see?” I asked in a low voice. “Did you see who it did it?”

  There was an awkward silence and I glanced at Willa Mae. Her face twisted in anguish.

  “All of ’em had blond hair.”

  “All?” I swallowed the bile in my throat. “How many?”

  Teary eyes drifted down as she muttered a prayer before answering. “Three.”

  “Oh god,” I groaned, cold filling my chest. It couldn’t be them. It couldn’t be Seth and his brothers. Seth and Dillon were supposed to be in Austin. And Chase, he couldn’t have done this, not without Seth. I’ll find out who did this, if it was the last thing I do.

  I took a deep, reinforcing breath and then kissed Cassie one last time. “I’ll be back soon. I love you.”

  She whimpered in her sleep and then was quiet.

  I went to the living room with Willa Mae close behind me. “Whatever you plan on doin’ it ain’t no good. Your place is here with Cassie.”

  From the bookshelf, I picked up my father’s picture. His voice whispered in the back of my mind.

  Don’t ever let ’em get to ya. Walk away.

  “Who was it, Willa Mae?” I placed the photo back on the shelf.

  “Cassie, she...” Willa Mae’s voice shook at the memory. “She called the bigger one Seth.”

  Shit! It was them.

  White noise filled my ears as Willa Mae told me everything she saw. All I could hear was Seth’s laughter: his vengeful stare, the bullying, the taunting. It all fed the fire that grew within me. Then Cassie’s beautiful smile came into my vision. My precious angel, the love of my life. And Seth...and his brothers...they...they...

  “See after Cassie for me.” I stormed to the door.

  Willa Mae grabbed my arm. “Cody—”

  “I said...!” I stopped midsentence, my words echoing loudly in the tiny room. I swallowed the fury that threatened to spill over onto the one person who had always been kind to us. I lowered my voice and said calmly, “Just please watch her for me.”

  I ran out before I could hear her say anything that would change my mind.

  I pointed my truck in the direction where I knew I’d find Seth and his brothers. My knuckles grew white as I gripped the steering wheel, shutting everything out of my mind and my heart. All I carried was the image of Cassie, broken by a man I should’ve protected her from the first time he laid a hand on her. And what had I done? I’d walked away. I avoided him at all costs. And my beautiful, sweet Cassie paid the price.

  Not anymore. This time, I would protect her.

  I revved the engine and sped down the highway, burying the sound of my father’s voice.

  PART III

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