Chapter 15

<Gavin Forrester>

Victoria’s been asleep on my couch for at least an hour. She looks so pretty when she’s sleeping. She gets this small smile on her lips and her eyes flutter as she dreams. I run my fingers soothingly through her hair as she continues to sleep. I’m glad she fell asleep here because there’s no way in hell I’d let her go back to Carter. I check the time on my phone and yawn at the fact that it’s almost 2 o’clock in the morning. I decide that Victoria needs a more comfortable place to sleep than my worn-out couch. I pick her up and carry her off to my room where the more comfortable king-sized bed is situated. I struggle to pull back the comforter and then I set Victoria down on one half of the bed. I tuck the covers under her chin and then I lay down on the other side of her but I don’t fall asleep. There are too many thoughts in my head for me to even think about sleep.

Victoria is getting too close to figuring everything out. She already knows Carter is involved with drugs and she knows that I’m a hired murderer. Granted, she doesn’t know who I’m supposed to be murdering but her knowing my job is enough to scare me. What scares me more is that she still trusts me, even after finding out that I’m an assassin.

Why does she still trust me? Why is she pretending that that conversation didn’t even happen?

The vibration of a phone brings me out of my thoughts. I check the caller I.D. and see that the devil himself is calling me. I press the ‘answer’ button and stand up, moving over to my door frame with my back to Victoria.

“Hey, Satan.” I chuckle a little and hear Talon grunt from the other side.

“If I’m Satan then I guess you’re living in hell, Forrester.”

“Glad to see you have such a great sense of humor at almost 2 o’clock in the morning.” I step out into the hallway and pull my bedroom door closed.

“I’m just calling to say that her rehearsal dinner is in about a month. Is she dead?” He says casually.

“Talon, I think you’d know if I killed her.” I mutter indifferently.

“Is she at your apartment?” My blood freezes as those words leave his mouth.

“No,” I say slowly.

“I’m glad to know you’re so truthful with me because Carter has a very different story to tell.” Talon laughs darkly as my fists clench. “See he says that Victoria ran away and he followed her to your house”

Damn, that boy needs a hobby…

“And you should believe him because?” I say a little louder than I should have.

Victoria stirs in the bed behind me but I don’t hear her get up.

“It seems like something you’d do…let Victoria stay with you even though she’s marrying Carter.” Talon chuckles, waiting for me to challenge him.

“He abused Victoria…He beat her and burned her with a cigarette.” I mutter, my tone laced with venom.

I’m not even sure why I said that. I mean it’s not like Talon cares about what happens to Victoria. He just wants her dead.

“I really don’t care. I want her dead; have you forgotten that fact?” Talon’s tone is completely indifferent which bothers me more than it should since I’m already aware that he doesn’t love her.

“How can a father want his own flesh and blood dead?” I say, fighting to control my temper.

“You already know why I want her dead.” He states simply.

“Yes, I do…I also know that there’s more to the Carter story than I know and there’s a piece of information that you don’t know.” I take a seat on my couch and wait for his response.

“Tell me your information and I might be able to help your understanding.” Talon’s tone is all-business.

“Carter is back to drug dealing.” I state simply.

I hear Talon sigh from the other end.

“I already know…” Talon says in a completely unsurprised tone.

“Why aren’t you more surprised to hear this? I mean he could get arrested again and you could lose your valuable connections.” I bite my lip and think about what the possible source for his lack of surprise could be.

Then is hits me like a truck. There’s only one reason why Talon wouldn’t care that Carter was risking getting arrested.

“Is Carter getting you drugs?” I ask in a serious tone.

There’s no answer from Talon’s end of the phone conversation.

“That’s why you don’t care…That’s also probably why you kept him from getting arrested the first time, why you paid off the cops.” My eyes widen with realization.

“Keep that little epiphany to yourself.” Talon grumbles, most likely seething with rage.

“Oh, I will but you need to do something for me first.”

“You know I can’t let Victoria live…We’ve been over that, Gavin.” Talon sounds completely exasperated.

“If I have to kill Victoria, I want you and I want her mom and I want Carter to watch. I want you all to not take any drugs or drink anything and I want you to watch me take her life. I want you to see what you’re doing…I want your sober brains to see exactly what your drunk minds would never be able to.” I whisper so Victoria can’t hear what I’m saying.

Hopefully being compliant will buy me some more time.

“Fine, if that’s your only request then I feel that I can grant that.”

“Good, and believe me I will make sure that there are no drugs and no alcohol in any of your systems’.”

“Okay then, enjoy your last month with Victoria. I’ll see you at the rehearsal dinner.” Talon laughs darkly before hanging up.

What have I got myself into? I will never, I repeat never, kill Victoria.

~~~~~

Victoria’s eyes shoot open at about 10 A.M. I’ve been up all night thinking about my request to Talon and with each passing moment the guilt intensifies and threatens to suffocate me. She turns her head and her eyes widen.

“Did we do ‘it’ last night?” She asks in a tired tone.

“Sweetheart, you’re still wearing your clothes.” I chuckle and stand up, offering her my hand.

“Sorry, I must’ve been really tired last night.” Victoria grabs my hand and stands up, straightening out her shirt and pulling her hair up into a bun.

“You do remember what happened last night, right?” I give her a quizzical look to which she responds with a grin.

“You may need to remind me.” She snakes her arms around my neck and leans in.

I roll my eyes and place my lips on hers.

“You’re a lot more clever than I give you credit for.” I smirk as we let go.

She just rolls her eyes and walks out into my living room. She plops down on the couch and sighs.

“What’s wrong?” I ask as I walk into the kitchen, hoping maybe there’s some food hidden somewhere.

“I think you know…” Victoria sighs again and cranes her neck so her head is now facing me.

“You don’t have to go back to him just yet,” I give her a small smile and continue to look through the cabinets.

“But I will,” She stands up and walks into the kitchen, wrapping her arms around my waist.

“Don’t think about it right now because then you’ll just waste all the time you have away from him thinking about him.” I wink and pull her in closer to me.

“Fine,” She places her lips on my cheek and then pulls away quickly.

“Victoria?” I turn towards her with an amused look.

“My mom is going to have a freak attack.” Her eyes are wide with fear as she frantically lets go of me.

“Call her and tell her you were staying at a friend’s house looking for more flower arrangements or whatever it is that brides do.”

“Very funny, Gavin…She’ll have way more questions and I’m sure Carter is all ready to tell her what I actually did last night.” Victoria rubs her temples and her forehead creases like she’s deep in thought.

“Then what’ll happen?” I cross my arms and give her a serious look.

“She’ll probably handcuff me to Carter.” Victoria mutters, not a trace of humor in her voice.

“I could break you out of those, babe.” I smirk and wrap my arms around her, placing my lips gently on her neck.

“Quit trying to distract me, Gavin.” She chuckles and tries to break free of my grip.

“Don’t pretend you don’t like it.” I move my lips to her cheek and she stops trying to get free.

“Gavin Forrester,” Victoria says in a warning tone.

“Fine, you can use the landline to call her.” I let go of her and she gives me a grateful glance as she walks towards the phone.

“You’re so old school, you have a landline.” Victoria winks as she dials her mom’s number.

She twirls the cord around her finger as she waits for someone to pick up.

“Hello?” She says into the mouthpiece. “Carter, I don’t want to talk to you right now. I need to talk to my mom. No I am not with Gavin.” Victoria rolls her eyes and looks over towards me.

“Put my mother on the phone or I swear I will have you arrested for those drugs I found in our room. Yes, I’m aware you threw those out but an addict will always get more. Please, I really just need to talk to her. Carter, I already told you I was alone. Well, how would you know if I was with anyone? Did you follow me? Screw you, Carter Jacobson! I have a life outside of you. I can’t believe that you think you have to follow me. Well, maybe if you didn’t try to murder me then I wouldn’t’ve had to run away. Maybe, I’d be at my house lying next to you instead of with Gavin.”

Victoria has tears in her eyes and I grab her hand in an attempt to comfort her.

“No, please don’t tell my mom. I’ll come back to you, just let me make up an excuse to keep her anger at bay. Carter, I’m sorry…I’ll do anything, just let me talk to her. Thank you,” Victoria takes in a deep breath and tries to dry her tears. “Hey, mama…Yeah, I’m sorry I didn’t come home last night, I was out late shopping with Susie and Jesse and we all decided to crash at Jesse’s house. I’ll be home soon, I’m just going to get some breakfast and then I’ll be right home. Love you too.”

Victoria hangs up and then turns towards me.

“You don’t have to be sorry to him…He’s the one who almost murdered you.” I clench my fist in anger and then turn around, walking over to my beat-up couch.

“I know but he’d hurt me even more if I didn’t apologize.” She says in a small voice.

“Carter doesn’t care how sorry you are, he’s going to hurt you no matter what you do.” The bitterness in my voice pierces my heart as I realize that no matter what I do, Victoria is still going to marry Carter.

“I know deep down that he loves me, Gavin.” Victoria’s tears have begun again.

“Did he tell you that? He’s lying, he just wants you around as a punching bag and every time you come back, the more power he’ll think he has over you and the more he’ll hurt you. You’re digging yourself a hole you’ll never get out of.” I mutter in a harsh voice as I stand up.

“I can’t leave him, he’ll hunt me down and he’ll really murder me. He won’t just threaten it anymore.”

“Carter’s threatened to murder you? You can’t go back to him, Victoria!” I shout and clutch her shoulders in both of my hands.

“He was drunk, I didn’t think he meant it.” Victoria’s eyes widen and she gives me a completely terrified look.

“Victoria, he is never going to stop hurting you. He’s going to keep abusing you and the more power you give him, the worse it’s going to get.”

“Well, what do you want me to do? I can’t call off the engagement, everyone is counting on me. My parents forced to say yes and they are going to force me to walk down that aisle in a month. I’m trapped, Gavin.” Victoria breaks down and collapses into my arms.

I hold her close and run my fingers through her hair.

“I bet if your parents knew he was abusing you they wouldn’t make you go through with it.”

“Have you forgotten the ‘cheat cam’ scandal? They didn’t care, my mom wouldn’t even let me press charges.” Victoria sobs and grabs onto me tighter.

“He threatened to murder you, that’s a bit more serious.” I state simply.

“They’re not going to care unless he actually goes through with it.” Victoria mumbles in a bitter tone.

“It’s your decision but I want you to be safe. You have to promise me that if it gets worse, you’ll come back here and we’ll go to the cops together.”

“I promise,” She dries her tears on her t-shirt and then holds out her pinky to me.

I lock mine with hers and a small smile crosses over her face.