Cruel Boundaries (5 page)

Chapter Fifteen

Noah~

It’s been over twenty-four hours since Amy went missing. There no sign of her or Brad.

Dad and Uncle Garrett are out, looking for Amy. I wish there was something I could do!

I know Uncle Garrett blames me. Hell, I blame myself. I should’ve listened to Amy! If something happens to her Uncle Garrett will kill me!

I just want her safely back. I’ll never say a mean word to her again. I’ll spend my life making it up to her.

I just want Amy back.

I’ve been trying to think where Brad could have taken her.

My phone rings, and I’m expecting a call from Dad, so I just answer.

“You’re going to be so proud of me,” Brad’s voice comes over the line.

I freeze. I can’t believe he is actually phoning me.

“Brad?” My voice cracks with tension.

“I’ve taught her a lesson. She won’t dare to upset you again. She now understands that she’s not good enough for you.” I hear Brad moving and then a hoarse moan fills my ear, sending my heart into overdrive. I hear Brad talking in the background, “tell him!”

My heart stops and all I hear is an overwhelming silence, and then, “I … I’m …” I hear Amy take a shallow breath, “… not.” She stops talking and after a few agonizing seconds I hear Brad yelling, “I’ll bury this knife in your heart! Fucking tell him!”

I hear Amy take a ragged breath and then her voice comes over the line, “I’m … so sorry, Noah. I’ll … never upset you again. I’m not … good enough … for you.” Her voice cracks and sounds so small, gripping at my heart. “Please help me.”

“You bitch!” Brad screams and I hear Amy cry out in pain. I hear movement, as if the phone is being slammed against something.

“Brad!” I scream, my heart pounding with fear for Amy. “Bud, please stop!” I pray to God he can hear me.

“I’ll take care of her, just like you said,” Brad suddenly says.

“Wait!” I yell, scared to death that he’ll kill her. “Tell me where you are.” My mind races trying to come up with anything, so I can help Amy. “I want to be there. I want to kill her,” I force the words out.

“Really?” Brad murmurs. “You want to kill her with me? Like a bonding thing?” I hear his voice get thick with emotion.

“Yes! Like a bonding thing. Just me and you.” I hope he falls for this!

“I’m at my parents’ cabin.”

“I’m coming. Wait for me!”

When I cut the call to Brad, I quickly phone Dad to let him know where I’m going. Brad has lost it and I’m going to need them to take him down.

~*~

Chapter Sixteen

Amy~

My back is on fire.

I couldn’t guess the word. All I could focus on was the intense pain.

Brad leaves me alone for most of the time. He only comes back for a few minutes to hurt me, and then he leaves again.

The sunlight is shining into the room, throwing a wide beam over me. It’s making the cuts hurt even more. I hate that I can see outside. I hate that I can feel the sun and the occasional breeze, but I’m trapped in here. I hate that I’m at Brad’s mercy.

At first I was terrified that he would rape me, but that fear soon faded to the background. Brad is a cruel monster with no boundaries.

Yesterday I realized that he doesn’t see me, the human, the girl.

I feel drained of life. I have no energy to try and fight back. My wrists and ankles are chafed badly, from struggling to get free. My back hurts so much, I can’t even think of the hunger I felt yesterday.

This morning he made me talk to Noah, and then I heard him and Noah, that Noah wanted to be here to kill me.

The hopelessness I’ve been sinking into gets deeper and darker by the second.

I’m going to die.

I know I’m going to die, and I’ve made some sort of peace with it. What scares me is how I will die. I know it’s going to be painful. It’s going to hurt so bad! I don’t think I can stand much more pain. I keep wishing that I’ll pass out, but I don’t. I dozed off a little a day ago, and was scared awake by Brad. I haven’t closed my eyes since then, scared that Brad will be there when I open them.

I’m terrified out of my mind.

~*~

Brad comes into the room, the usual sneer plastered on his face. This is it! I’m going to die! 

I expected to see Noah, so when it’s only Brad, I don’t know if I should be relieved. My eyes dart to his hands and I immediately notice that the knife he’s been using to carve into me is missing. Some more relief washes over me.

But then Brad gets on the bed, straddling me once more. “You’re filthy!” he snaps. “Not so pretty anymore.”

He grabs hold of my hair again. My scalp is raw from all the yanking. Instead of yanking my head up, he presses my face into the pillow. Oh God! No! He’s going to suffocate me!

“You need to beg me for a breath of air, otherwise I’ll just keep going until you stop breathing the same air as me. You should count yourself lucky that I’m allowing you to be in my presence.”

He doesn’t give me a second to beg. He shoves my face so hard into the pillow, it hurts – and then my air is cut off.

I start to struggle, trying to find a gulp of air anywhere. Panic overrides my body and I don’t care about the pain, only surviving. I yank and pull, but nothing helps. Brad is so much stronger than me!

The seconds start to crawl by sluggishly, and it’s as if a switch is flipped deep inside of me.

I just stop.

Maybe this will be better. Suffocating must be better than being carved into pieces.

My mind drifts to Daddy and Momma. I wish I could feel one of Daddy’s bear-hugs just one more time.

I wish I could hear him call me angel … just one more time.

Just one more second.

Just one more breath.

But instead … there’s nothing.

~*~

Chapter Seventeen

Noah~

I met with Dad and Uncle Garrett close to the cabin. We decided it would be better for me to go in alone. They will follow by a few seconds, so Brad won’t see them coming. We left their car on the side of the road and Dad and Uncle Garrett are hiding in the back seat, keeping a low profile.

We have the element of surprise on our side.

When I park the car, I take in a deep breath. “This is it,” I whisper.

“We’re right behind you son,” Dad whispers back.

I get out and my legs feel like they’re being weighed down with concrete. I don’t bother knocking, that would make it obvious that I’m out of my element. I open the front door and listen. When I hear nothing, I call out, “Brad!”

Only silence greets me. My hearts starts to hammer hard in my chest, making my whole body vibrate with adrenaline. I rush into the cabin, frantically looking into every room.

I race up the stairs and I slam open the first door. My heart sputters to a halt. I can’t take it all in. The scene in front of me is horrific! At first my focus is on the bed where a bloodied body lies face down. My mind tells me to move, that it’s Amy, but my whole being repels against what I’m seeing.

“I killed her,” I hear Brad murmur and only then do I see him standing in the shadows on the other side of the room. His words register and they sink to the deepest, darkest part of me.

“W-what?” I ask dumbstruck. Before he can get another word out, I’m shoved hard from behind.

Everything explodes into action around me. I watch as Dad and Uncle Garrett grab hold of Brad. I stand and watch as they start to slam their fists into him.

I watch their faces. Pure hatred radiate from them. Anger has drawn their features tight. They are working perfectly together to take Brad down.

No … to kill him? Fuck, they’re killing him!

I take a step closer to them, not exactly sure what I’m supposed to do. Dad’s eyes meet mine for a second and he snaps, “Check on Amy!” He turns his attention back on beating the shit out of Brad.

Life returns to my body and I rush to the bed. The stench and sight is horrendous. I can’t believe Brad, the man I thought was my best friend did this to Amy.

I’m just about to reach for her when Uncle Garrett shoves me out of the way.

“Amy!” He roars as he grabs her. He yanks so hard at the bonds holding her down, they snap under his strength.

The heart I thought had stopped at the sight of Amy, breaks as I watch Uncle Garrett roar with agony. He turns her onto her back and starts CPR. I hear dad talking, calling 911.

I hear but I can’t take in any words or sounds, they bounce right off me.

All I can do is stare at the man I admired, the man I thought was unbreakable – break – wailing for his daughter whom he left in my protection.

~*~

I followed the ambulance to the hospital. Uncle Garrett rode with Amy, while Dad stayed behind waiting for the police.

I don’t know how I managed to drive. I’m sitting in the waiting room, my eyes glued to the floor. I can’t find the courage to look at Uncle Garrett. Aunt Kris got here a few minutes ago, and she’s sitting huddled against Uncle Garrett.

They look broken.

I did that, by not listening to Amy when she came to me for help.

Time just fades away in the shadows surrounding us. I don’t even notice the doctor until I hear Aunt Kris start to cry. It’s the saddest sound I’ve heard in my entire life. I’ll never forget the sound of a mother’s heart breaking.

I stare at the doctor’s mouth, seeing the words, but only hearing some of them.
“She’s in a coma … No telling when she’ll wake up … Don’t know the extent of her injuries as we’re not sure how long she was without oxygen … brain damage…”

Each word is a nail into my heart.

~*~

Dad and Uncle Garrett beat Brad so bad, he’s been brought to the same hospital as Amy. I’m not sure which floor he’s on. I’m not sure I want to see him.

I run down to the cafeteria to get some coffee for everyone. Once I have the coffee, I take my time getting back to Amy’s room. I’m in no hurry to sit in that room only to be reminded of the part I played in this.

I step into an elevator and just before the doors close someone rushes in.

We recognize each other at the same time. I don’t know what to say to Brad’s older sister. This must be a shock to them as well.

“Louisa,” I can only get her name out.

Her face pulls with rage and she slams her hand into my chest. “Don’t you fucking Louisa me! You put my brother in hospital!” She slams her fist into my chest again and this time the coffee spills all over me.

I’m not sure how to react. If she was a guy I’d beat her ass!

The elevator doors ping open and I attempt to get away from her by quickly stepping off, but she follows me out, screeching, “You were like a brother to him! He trusted you!”

“What the fuck?” I turn on her, ready to have this fight right here. “He almost killed my cousin! She’s in a coma!” I gulp in some air in an attempt to calm down. “You need to get him some serious help, Louisa. He’s fucked in his head! What human being does what he did to Amy? He’s sick.”

Her fist comes swinging at me, and connects with the side of my neck, because she’s so much shorter than me. Security comes running our way and just before she can lunge at me again, they grab hold of her.

As they pull her away she keeps screaming, “He did it for you! You were like a brother to him! You betrayed him!”

I watch as she keeps fighting the security, and then the elevator doors close on them.

“Sir, are you okay?” One of the nurses asks, concern etched all over her face.

I wipe over my wet shirt and nod. “Yeah, just fucking fine.” I know she didn’t deserve me to snap at her, but this whole mess is just never-ending!

~*~

Chapter Eighteen

(Three weeks later…)

Amy~

Every time I try to open my eyes, I get dragged back under.

When I finally manage to pry my eyes open, a woman grabs my hand. “Angel? Can you hear me?”

I blink at her.

She leans forward and at the same time a man rushes into the room. He takes hold of my other hand, and I’m confused as I watch them cry.

“Angel, thank God you’re awake!” the man cries.

I stare at them in confusion and a tinge of panic ripples through me.

“Where am I?” As I ask the question, another woman and two men file into the room. Everyone looks so happy to see me.

The youngest man starts to ramble, “Amy … I’m so sorry! I’m so sorry I didn’t listen!”

His words confuse me even more and then a thumping pain starts to beat within my skull. Slowly my senses return to me and I start to feel pain all over.

I gasp at the agony flaring hot through me. “What’s happening?” I groan in pain. “Who are you? Where am I?”

~*~