Teresa Mummert - Pretty Little Things

“You think she is worth dying for? Is it worth her death to get revenge from me?”

I looked down at the beautiful broken girl, shaking and terrified.

The sound of sirens crept closer, and I watched Taylor's eyes dance around the room, his hand shaking under the weight of the gun.

“You won’t make it out of here alive.” I wanted my chance to kill him myself. If I didn’t act now, I wouldn’t have the opportunity.

“I’m at peace with that, son. I’m ready to meet my maker…but I’m taking one of you with me.” He took aim back at me.

“Police,” called someone from below.

Taylor turned the gun on Annie and pressed it against her forehead. “You go out there.”

I searched her beautiful green eyes, red-rimmed and swollen. “If you hurt her, I’ll take my time, make you suffer. I have a very good imagination.”

“You always did.” He grinned, and I wanted to lunge across the room. “Go,” he whisper-yelled, pressing the barrel harder against her skin and causing her to whimper.

“Come out with your hands in the air,” someone called out. I raised my hands in front of me and turned to walk out of the room. I stood at the top of the stairs as they barked orders. I slowly descended, and a few steps from the bottom I was grabbed, and handcuffs snapped hard against my wrists.

“You son of a bitch.” Jacob came through the door, his fist cocked back. He swung, connecting with my jaw before another officer was able to restrain him. The taste of copper filled my mouth. “You fucking sick son of a bitch!” He was pointing at me, screaming.

“He’s upstairs. He has a gun pointed at Annie.” My eyes locked with the cop who had just finished putting on my cuffs.

“Who?” Jacob looked as helpless as I felt.

“My father.”

“Take him,” he told another officer, and held out his weapon as he made his way to the second floor.

Annie cried loudly, and Taylor began to quote scriptures as the cop demanded he lower his weapon. I sat on my knees, hands restrained as I tilted my head toward the ceiling and began to say a silent prayer for her safety. It was the first time I had ever said the words and hoped that someone was listening. I didn’t deserve redemption, but Annabel was innocent. She deserved mercy.

When the gunfire rang out, I could do nothing except hang my head, my world ending in the moment she screamed. A growl resonated from deep inside my chest, and crippling pain from my heart breaking left me paralyzed. Jacob yelled and struggled against the other cop, and time seemed to slow to a near standstill. I couldn’t breathe or move until I heard her cry, and I inhaled, pushing to my feet and stumbling up the stairs in a daze.

“Shh,” Colin whispered, and my eyes fluttered open as he lifted me into his arms. We began moving toward the stairs, and I placed my face against his warm chest, his heart thudding rhythmically beneath my touch, and I let my eyes fall closed again.

The police were questioning him, but he stared down at me, unable to speak, and his silence spoke volumes. He slowly lowered me to the floor, and an officer began untying my wrists and ankles while he cradled my head from the hard floor, my clothes spattered with his father’s blood. I glanced over at the red cuts like rings around his wrists from the restraints he had worn moments ago.

“I want to hear her say you weren’t a part of this.” Jacob was seething, and I couldn’t blame him. I knew how this must have looked. Colin swallowed hard, his eyes swimming, and I knew he was blaming himself. I shouldn’t have lied to him about coming to see him, and I should have made sure he knew I wasn’t upset at him. Had Taylor succeeded in killing me, Jacob would have carried that guilt for the rest of his life. The secrets had to end.

“It wasn’t him, Jacob. He saved me. Twice.” As my hands were freed, I looped them around Colin’s neck, clinging to him as if he was as vital as the air in my lungs.

“The rumors.” He took a step back, dumbfounded.

“We’re not related,” Colin spoke up, but his eyes never left mine.

“That explains why you didn’t bat an eye about Nat.”

“Jacob…” My voice trailed off, unable to stop my mind from racing.

“Jacob, that’s enough. We need to take their statement.” His father put a hand on his shoulder, and Jacob nodded, confusion marring his face.

I didn’t even remember the trip to the police station. Jacob came with his father and even though I knew he didn’t understand, he refused to leave until he was certain I was going to be alright. Everyone was treating me as if I was going to crack under their stares, but I was numb and it felt incredible to not feel.

I recounted the story of my short-lived time at the commune as everyone watched me, wide-eyed and mouths agape. I refused to let go of Colin, and even Jacob sat on my other side and held my hand.

Everyone had heard about Taylor on the news when his commune was raided, but it was big news to have it brought to their doorstep.

Colin opted to tell his story behind closed doors, and I reluctantly pried my fingers from his, immediately feeling empty from his lack of touch.

Jacob squeezed my hand painfully tight and it felt like my bones might snap, but I welcomed feeling anything, even if it was pain.

“I should have known something was wrong,” Jacob said to no one in particular.

“How could you have known, Jake? I didn’t tell anyone.” I shook my head. “None of this is your fault.”

“It’s not yours either.” His eyes met mine.

“I know.”

“Do you?”

I didn’t respond, and he pulled me against his chest and hugged me tightly.

“If he would have hurt you…” He whispered into my hair, and I smiled fractionally. It was nice to know that even with all of our secrets being revealed, Jacob wasn’t going anywhere. He was willing to accept me for who I was, even if it meant we would never be together. I pulled back and wiped a tear from my eye.

“So, this Nat girl?” I raised my eyebrow, and he laughed as he shook his head.

“She’s not you.” His smile fell, and there was a pregnant pause as we looked at each other.

“She nice to you?”

“Yeah. Nicer than I deserve.”

“You’re a good person, Jake. You just need to see it for yourself.”

“She’s,” he laughed, “constantly ragging on me for smoking.”

“Good.” I nodded as I grabbed his hand again and laid my head on his shoulder. “I’d like to meet her sometime.”

The sound of a throat clearing caused me to jump. I gazed up at Connor’s smiling face. “Can I have a minute alone with my daughter?”

My heart leapt in my throat at him calling me his daughter. He was a great man and there were no words for what he meant to me, but this was the first time he had called me daughter without it protecting a lie.

“You know they all know now,” I said as I pushed to my feet.

“That doesn’t mean we aren’t family anymore, Annabel. It’s just changed a little.” I stepped into his arms, and he hugged me tightly. Another set of arms wrapped around me from behind and I knew from the smell of baby powder it was Grace.

“Sweet girl.” She cried as they cocooned me in their love. Connor pressed a kiss to the top of my head, and as they released me, his hand curled around hers.

“I’m good at keeping secrets, Annie, but come on.”

I bit back a laugh as they looked at each other with affection. “How long has this been going on?” I asked.

“It’s been a crazy week for all of us,” Connor laughed, and it turned into a cough. Grace placed her hand on his chest as she overworried about his health.

We spent hours with the police and Connor by our side, retelling the horror story that was Colin’s life, omitting some of the more horrific details.

When all was said and done, we were allowed to go back to Connor’s so I could shower and sleep. I scrubbed my skin with nearly scalding hot water for what felt like an hour to rid my flesh of any trace of blood. Colin leaned against the sink, not wanting to leave me out of his sight, and I was grateful. He respected my modesty and kept his gaze downcast. I dried off and pulled on jeans and a tank top so I could go down to the kitchen and eat a salad. He took the seat next to me at the large table but did not eat a bite, his hand resting on my thigh as if to make sure I was really there.

The entire situation had exhausted me, and I felt like I could slip into a coma. Colin lifted me into his arms, cradling me as we made the trek back to my room.

He laid me down on my bed, and I rolled to my side as he pulled the comforter over my body.

“Sweet dreams.”

“Wait,” I called after him, and he stopped in the doorway, turning back to me slowly. “Please don’t go.”

“I wasn’t going anywhere.” He pushed the door closed and took a seat in the leather wingback chair next to the door.

Later I awoke, covered in a thin sheen of sweat as I gasped for breath. I sat up and threw my covers off my legs.

“You all right?” Colin leaned forward out of the shadows.

“Did I wake you?” I asked, pushing my hair from my face as I struggled to slow my heart rate, terrified that he somehow knew what was playing in my mind.

“You were having a nightmare. I was worried.”

“It wasn’t about…Taylor.” I looked over at him as confusion marred his chiseled face. He stood slowly and walked toward my bed.

“What was it about?” he asked as he sat down on the end of my bed, never breaking eye contact. I watched the column of his throat move as he swallowed hard, the realization that I remembered something from our past dawning on him. “Annie…” His voice trailed off as he reached out and ran the pad of his finger along the length of my eyebrow. “Tell me.”