Caleb (The Unseen Series Book 1) (24 page)

“Are you sure you’re ready to face the music?”

“I need to squash those rumors about us,” Cain replies.

“Why are you off to LA?”

“Evangeline is there. She’s in trouble and I plan to bring her back,” Grayson answers. He’s obviously found the girl I was helping him search the CCTV for.

“I’m going in case she needs medical attention,” Kade joins in. “SJ, keep those patches on for the next two to four hours please.”

“I will,” I agree. I try to stop the tremble in my lip but it doesn’t work. I know I need to be careful of what I say because the children are around us somewhere, but I have to say something too. “Thank you, everyone. No words will ever describe how grateful I am for what you all did and the situation you put yourselves in.”

“Your practically family now girl,” Cain says, pulling me into a hug. “Plus saving lives just happens to be my new specialty.” The cabin fills with laughter. Cain really does know how to lighten the mood. “Dana, I’ll see you in November for the christening.” Then he changes to baby talk and I can tell he’s talking to one of the children. “When I’ll officially become your godfather, yes I will.”

“Are you sure you want him to be the godfather,” a voice I don’t recognize says.

“Shut up, Edward,” Dana hisses and by the sounds of it, she gives him a little punch.

“It’s okay. I’m used to it,” Cain replies. “Bye everyone, see you soon.”

“Take care, see you in a couple of weeks,” Grayson says in his usual detached manner.

“Caleb loves you, so we love you. You have a whole family here now kiddo,” Kade says before giving me a hug.

“Come on, we need to get off the plane, they’re scheduled to leave in twenty minutes and they need to refuel.” Caleb picks me up and carries me down the stairs of the plane.

“You don’t need to carry me,” I say, but snuggle into him anyway.

***

“You ready?”

“Nope, do it slowly.” I squirm. “No, rip it off quickly.”

Caleb is trying to get the gauze patches off, but I almost cried like a baby when he started pulling.

“3... 2... 1.”

“Shit!” I scream while clutching my eye. “That fucking hurt!”

“You’re such a girl, let me see,” he demands.

I slowly pull my hand away. The light hurts my eye to begin with causing it to tear up. Eventually, I get used to it. It’s strange how much I took my sight for granted. Being in the dark for three days has made me appreciate it so much more.

“It looks good. A little bloodshot, but doesn’t look damaged. How’s your sight?” he asks.

“Bright, vibrant, amazing.”

“Am I as good looking as you remember?”

That makes me laugh. “Better, in fact.”

“Good, now let’s get this other one off.”

“Do it slowly!” I grit my teeth.

“3...”

“You bastard, you promised.”

“I didn’t promise anything.” He laughs.

“You didn’t even count down all the way,” I whine.

“Open your eye,” he says and I do what he asks.

After a good amount of tearing and blinking, my eye finally settles. “Everything looks good,” I tell him

“How are you feeling?”

“I don’t know. I’m angry at the moment. I’m angry at my mom for thinking she had any right to sell me. I’m angry at my so called father for thinking he had any right to use me to his advantage,” I ramble on, looking down at our entwined hands and that’s when I notice his thumbs. “What the hell happened?”

“It doesn’t matter—”

“It matters to me. What did they do to you?”

“I was tortured, SJ. Is that what you want to hear? I was tortured because I needed to find you and putting myself out there as bait was the only way.”

“I’m sorry—” I start.

“It’s not your fault. Don’t you dare ever think it was. I love you and I needed you. I should have had better protection on you. I’m sorry I didn’t get to you sooner.” The remorse and anger I feel from him makes me want to comfort him so badly.

“None of this was your fault either, Caleb. You did your best. I am beyond grateful to have someone who loves me enough to save me.”

“I will always save you,” he says heroically and so far he has been true to his word. He was there when Gary tried to force himself on me. He was there when Jake tried to do the same, and he was there this time.

I don’t have any words that could even begin to describe how his words make me feel, so I just give him a watery smile. I won’t let any of this get to me. I will get past it.

***

Two weeks have just flown by. We’re supposed to go home tomorrow, but I don’t think I’m ready. Here I can live in my own little fantasy and pretend everything is great. Going home means facing everything I left behind almost four weeks ago. I’ve managed to block out everything Buccieri did. I locked it all up in a box in my head and refused to let it out. When Caleb asks me about how I’m feeling, the box starts to creep open, but I slam it shut again and tell him I’m fine. Caleb opened up a bit about the torture he went through—it made my toes curl. I know he wants me to open up, but I can’t. I can’t tell him that I was made to urinate on myself or that I was too weak to fight back. He took the pain, he never gave up, and he never talked. I crumbled at the first whip of Buccieri’s belt.

“SJ?” Caleb calls through the room.

“I’m in the bathroom, just putting on a little makeup. I’m looking forward to dinner with everyone tonight,” I answer.

“Good, come on. The twins, Nathan, Caroline and Jacob are all asleep. Dana said Nicola is determined to be a pain in the butt.”

“Tell her to try doing it with twins.” I laugh, but Caleb doesn’t. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m sorry. I know you were only joking, but don’t say anything like that to Dana. Nicola was meant to be a twin. Dana struggled for a while and blamed herself a lot over it.”

“I didn’t know—”

“I know and it’s fine, I just thought I’d better mention it.”

“Do I look okay?” I ask with a smile, trying to lighten the suddenly sullen mood.

“Do you even have to ask? You’re stunning.”

“I think I preferred the speechless reaction you gave me the first time you saw me in a pretty dress.” I laugh.

We join everyone downstairs. This really has been an amazing couple of weeks. I love how close everyone is here. Dinner arrives and topics of conversation shifts from work to play to something about a man in a basement. I only caught the tail end of that conversation and make a mental note to question Caleb on it later.

“So you thought I was some stuck up rich boy?” Edward says and I turn to see who he’s talking to, when I notice the whole table is looking at me.

I must look like a deer caught in headlights. I have no idea how to respond.

“Sorry, I couldn’t resist,” Caleb chuckles in my ear.

“Yeah I did, and now I don’t,” I answer and pick up my glass of water.

The entire table laughs and I relax a bit.

“Look I was all pissed off at this asshole for trying to kick us out of our homes. He missed several appointments with me because he was here with you. I may have called you a crazy rich person.”

“Don’t forget about the dead living relative,” Caleb adds.

“Don’t forget I have a mean right hook,” I growl back under my breath.

“Are we talking about me?” Nick stands up. I really like Nick. He’s like the cool Dad every kid wanted growing up.

“I think that’s all that needs to be said on that topic,” I reply.

“Really? I do believe you called Edward, and I quote, ‘
a serious douche bag.’”

“I called him that once too,” Dana steps in and then winks at me. “I was pretty drunk. He went all caveman on me and then I threw up in his Bugatti.”

After dinner Caleb pulls me to the side. “Are you ready to go home?”

“I couldn’t be more ready,” I lie with a convincing smile.

“Why won’t you talk to me? SJ, I can see it in your eyes. You laugh and you look like you’re having a good time but your eyes tell me a very different story.”

“I’m fine Caleb. What else do you want me to say?”

He shrugs and takes his phone out of his pocket. “I need to call Claire,” he explains, I nod and go to walk away. “She works for me now.”

Now that’s new information. Two weeks and he hasn’t said a thing about Claire working for him. My steps faulter slightly, but I manage to keep up the rhythm.

“She’s been overlooking the demolition of the building in Fort Lincoln.”

Now I stop, swivel on the spot and walk back to him. “What?” I try to keep my voice calm but my body is radiating anger. “You told me you got the go ahead to restore the building.”

“I lied. I got you all out and because you moved out voluntarily, your eviction date is now void.”

“You bastard!” I screech louder than a banshee. “You tricked us! What did you think I was going to be like when you told me. Did you think I would run into your arms after you offered to let me move in with you?”

“Yeah kind of.” He smirks and I see red. My anger goes from simmering to boiling in less than a second. I hit out, punching him in the chest and not really doing anything to elicit a response from him other than to laugh at my pathetic attempts.

“I hate you,” I yell as I hit him again. “How dare you take everything away from me? How dare you think you have the right to come in and take over my life? How dare you!”

He wraps his arms around me and holds me tight as I struggle in his embrace, comforting me with occasional shushing in my ear. “There’s my fighter. There’s the girl who gave the world a big fuck you and soldiered on anyway.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?” I grunt out as I continue to hit him.

He pushes me back to arms length and looks me in the eye. “There it is. That fire in your eyes. That will to fight and win. You were sweeping everything under the carpet like nothing ever happened. Eventually that carpet will need shaking out and you’re going to have to face it.”

“I’m not ready!” I cry out. “And now you’ve just told me my home is gone.”

“I’m sorry about the building, but it was deemed unsafe. There was no way the DCRA was going to permit us to restore it, it’s been rotting for years.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” she asks angrily.

“This is where you hear my lame excuses. I was worried about how you would react. I didn’t want to lose you. I didn’t want to upset you. Pick one, SJ.”

“You lied to me! Why can’t anyone tell the truth? Everyone is a liar!” I yell, banging on his chest again.

“Tell me what happened to you, SJ. Open up and tell me so I can comfort you and be there for you. Tell me what that sick fuck did to you so I know what I’m going to do to him before I kill him,” he declares loud and clear.

I don’t know what makes me do it but suddenly I blurt out everything I endured at the hands of Buccieri. I go on and on, telling him every little minute detail, breaking down several times and wanting the world to swallow me whole at other times. He holds me, rocks me, allows me to pound on him and yell at him, but he never backs away. He listens intently as I pour my heart out.

“I’m so sorry, baby. I’m sorry I didn’t protect you better. He should never have been allowed to touch a hair on your beautiful, innocent head.” His words are fierce, but his eyes tell a soul crushing story.

“Please don’t cry. We’ll make them pay,” I say and hold his face in my hands.

“I promise you everything is going to be okay. I promise to look after you and never let anything happen to you again.”

***

“I’m going to miss you so much. I’ve really enjoyed having you here,” Dana says and I can’t help but laugh.

“I’ll be calling you all the time to ask about every little pregnancy related problem I have.” I chuckle.

“Our babies are going to grow up together and be best friends, just like their dads. Me, you, and Scarlett are all due within three weeks of each other. How crazy is that?”

“I have Scarlett’s number saved too, just in case.”

“We hope we’re going to see you in November at the christening,” Edward says.

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world.” Caleb hugs him and claps him on the back.

“I should hope not, as Nathan’s godfather I expect you to be present,” Edward announces.

I watch as Caleb’s face practically lights up. “Really?”

“Dana and I both agreed while we were in London. We would be honored.”

“No the honor is mine,” Caleb answers. “Thank you for coming to help, Edward.”

“You’d do the same for me. Oh wait, you did.” He chortles. “I’ll see you in November.”

“Yes you will.”

We arrive at Westchester airport and get ready to board Edward’s private plane. “Why don’t you have a private plane?” I ask Caleb.

“Do you want me to get a private plane?” He smirks at me.