Filed to story: Submitting to My Bestie’s Daddy Read Online >>???
Perhaps there were other things I could look through I may have needed.
If it was able to keep my mind busy, then so be it.
****
A few hours later, the storm approaching blew heavily through the night. The wind outside howled as the branches of nearby trees scratched against the roof, causing an eerie feeling to rest within the bones of the house I once loved to go home to.
It sucked being here when it felt so empty, and with Sam sleeping and the other guy standing watch, I couldn’t help but feel vulnerable. It was as if no matter how many people my brother could have sent with me… I was still open to the elements.
Searching through the cascade of paperwork I had in my room, I searched for the photos Layla, and I had taken only two months after she had been with us.
I wanted something to take back with me to put in a frame, considering Becca knew about our relationship, and Neal wouldn’t object as long as I made sure to be careful about what I was doing.
He may have been my younger brother, but I sometimes felt like he was the older sibling.
A soft knock on the bedroom door caught my attention, and looking up, I spotted Sam standing there with a smile on his face. “Hey, I’m letting Zack go rest and run patrol quickly on the house.”
He didn’t have to tell me what he was doing, but with a smile, I nodded. “Sounds good. I’m going to head to bed here in a minute. I was just looking for some photos.”
“Okay, just remember we leave at first light.”
It was strange how fatherly the older man was, considering he didn’t have to tell me anything, and yet he still chose to. As he closed the door, I felt guilty he was going out into the weather because it was his job to protect me. Had I just made sure to grab things this morning like a normal person, we wouldn’t have been here.
The chain had broken a week ago, and I had sent it out to have it fixed for her. Then stupidly allowed myself to forget to grab it. I’d picked it up the other day but hadn’t put it back in her jewelry box, and I’d forgotten about it in all of the rush. Thankfully, now it was already safe inside my sweater pocket. One last thing I had to worry about finding.
Shaking my head, I sighed as I shuffled through a few more pieces of paper until I finally found the photos I was looking for. A small smile played on my face as I recalled the day we took the photos and how happy I had been to take them with her.
As I reminisced over the moment the photo was taken, a small noise from the living room caught my attention and drove me into go mode. It sounded like a thud but confused me at the same time. The only people in the house were me, Zack, and Sam, or so I thought.
Narrowing my gaze, I stood and shoved one of the photos into my pocket as I made my way toward the bedroom door. I wasn’t one to run away scared, and the moment I stepped out into the hallway, I wished I was one of those people. But no, I was pressing forward down the hallway to see where everyone was.
Like a common idiot I would have yelled at in movies for doing so.
The eerie sound of silence consumed me, and as I pulled my sweater tighter around me, my heart raced as the adrenaline coursed through my body. Zack was supposed to be sleeping in the spare room with Sam doing rounds outside.
Yet, the moment I stepped into the living room, I froze.
Blood coated the floor, and as I let my eyes scan over the hardwood floor towards the source of where the blood was coming from, a flash of lightning from the angry sky outside lit up the living room in white, and a glimpse of Zack’s dead body came into view.
My breath caught in my throat as I stared at him. The realization we weren’t alone in this house clicked, but just in time for two strong arms to wrap around me from behind. Screaming, I thrashed and swung my arms back, catching whoever it was in the stomach as I bolted towards the other side of the home.
The panic room was in the study, and if I could make it there, I would be safe.
Unfortunately, I only got a few steps before a powerful grip on my hair had me screaming out in pain. I turned and tried using a few defensive moves to get out of the grip. It worked momentarily, but when the second figure grabbed me as well, the thrashing around became more useful than anything.
Gripped by the throat, the thundering storm raging behind these four walls, I stared up into the dark eyes of my attacker, who gladly removed his mask to smile back at me. I should have known something like this was going to happen. That they would plan this, and with the place deserted in the move, it was the perfect opportunity for them to come in.
They had been watching us, and now… I was their target.
“Hello, Allegra,” the cold, sinister voice of Xavier said with a snarling smile on his lips. He wasn’t as bad as his older brother, who obviously wasn’t here right now, but he was just as wicked when he wanted to be.
“Get the f*ck off me,” I spat at him, struggling within his grasp.
Laughter echoed within the room as another clash of lightning echoed outside. There was no way I would be able to get away from him. I may have been skilled, but I knew I was no match for the Michaelson brothers. I would be a fool if I thought I was.
“She’s feisty, isn’t she, boys?” Xavier laughed as the other two men with him chuckled in response to his comment. “I like them when they’re feisty, and I know my brother does too.”
Panic flooded me. Even though my life had prepared me for what could come, I was so out of touch with that side of me. I was unsure of what to do. It was like the moment he got his hands on me, everything I once knew went out the window.
“Let me go now, and my brother and I may let you live.”
Again with the laughter. I found myself growing more and more aggravated. Taking advantage of his brief distraction, I kicked out, catching him between the legs, which in turn caused him to let go of me.
The other two men with him were surprised as I pushed through them and rushed down the hallway. Yet, not fast enough to get away as I was tackled to the ground. A scream rushed from my throat as I hit the floor. My fingers clawed at the carpet as I tried to get away.
I had no doubt I would end up dying, and when a blow to the back of my head made spots dance before my eyes, I was sure this was it. Yet, as I was flipped over onto my back and staring up into Xavier’s eyes, who now straddled my waist, I knew he wasn’t going to make this quick.
“Oh, naughty girl.” He laughed, shaking his head. “Here, I thought you were going to listen. Guess we are going to have to do this the hard way.”
Becca.
The storms that had come in the night before were rougher than I had expected. However, through the whistling wind and cracks of lightning, I found solace in being wrapped up in bed with both children in my arms. The future was changing, and for the first time in months, I let my mind wander to James.
To the deep darkness of his eyes and the warm touch of his body against mine. I wished more than anything he was here with me to relish in moments like this with the children and to see them both growing. I had to admit I was lonely, and even though I could admit it to myself, I couldn’t admit it to anyone else.
The last thing I wanted was for the others to be worried about me.
Especially when I had taken so much for granted over the past year. In the morning light, I crept out of bed and went to the kitchen to fix a warm drink. Then, standing at the window in the living room, I looked out upon the water and sipped upon the hot cup of coffee in my hand.
From what I knew, my father and stepmother were to be arriving today with the others, and I wasn’t honestly sure what was taking too long.
Allegra, Sam, and Zack were supposed to have left at first light this morning, and when they didn’t arrive by 10:00, I found myself growing increasingly uncomfortable.
“Are they still not here?” Layla’s soft voice caused me to turn and glance at her from over my shoulder as I sighed and shook my head no. I knew she was worried about Allegra. She had voiced that concern this morning, and with the only phone in our possession currently being a satellite phone, I was worried too.
“I’m sure with the rough weather we had last night they simply just got tied up at the docks. Not to mention they had to wait for my parents.”
Giving her a reassuring smile, Layla turned from me and disappeared into the kitchen. As much as I wanted to believe the words I told her, I didn’t. Something was definitely wrong, but I didn’t know what it was.
As if Neal could have sensed what was going through my mind, he walked through the front door and caught me off guard. “Hey, we still haven’t heard from Sam, so I’m going to head into town with one of the other guys to see what’s taking them so long.”
“You don’t think—”
“No, don’t say it,” he murmured as he shook his head. “I refuse to believe something happened to them. My sister is a strong woman, and Sam is the best security detail I’ve ever had. Nothing has happened.”
Opening and closing my mouth, I sighed with a nod. “Okay. Just call me and let me know as soon as you can.”
He didn’t waste a single second before disappearing back out the front door. The sound of the door closing and the small conversation caught Layla’s attention once more. I turned to see her standing there with a broken expression as her chest moved in and out rapidly.
I hated to see her as broken as she was, but I couldn’t allow myself to think so negatively. I had to have faith everything was going to be okay.
****
Neal.