Devious Revenge (8 page)

                                Chapter 26

Watching my sister get ready for her dance, my heart swells.

“Janey, you look beautiful.” She spins around making the dress float around her body.

“Thank you! I can’t believe you got me this dress. I love you so much, Hannah.” Jumping up and down, she runs toward me, pulling me into a hug.

I’ve never wanted anything more in my life than for my sister to be happy. She deserves so much more than life has given her.

“You deserved it. You have been pulling straight A’s for as long as I can remember.”  Kissing her cheek, she pulls back.

“You deserve more, too. I’m sorry that you’re always stuck with me.” Tucking a piece of hair behind her ear, I shake my head.

“No. I’ve never been stuck with you, Janey. You’re the best sister anyone could ask for. I’m just glad that you’re getting out of this town.” Hearing my mother clear her throat behind us, I release my hold on Janey.

Turning to see the woman that was supposed to raise us high as a kite sets my nerves on edge.

She sways back and forth while her eyes never focus on anything.

“Where are you going? Whoring like your sister?” She laughs hysterically, but I don’t. She doesn’t know the hell that I live with every day. She knows that something happened between Alan, Brian, and I, but she is clueless as to what it is.

“Don’t you dare say that about her!” Janey moves to stand in front of me before I grasp her shoulder.

“Stop. It’s ok.” Pulling her back slightly, I can feel the tension in her.

“No, Hannah! She needs to stop this!” My mother laughs but it’s not her. I know who she is, and this is just the drugs talking.

“Its fine, Janey. Go fix your hair. It’s the drugs.” Janey shakes her head before she finally walks away.

Grabbing my mother, I pull her from the room and back toward hers.

“You can’t keep doing this to her. You are supposed to love her, and take care of her.” Setting her on her bed, she looks up at me.

“What did you do with those boys to make this town hate us?” I feel as if the air has been kicked from my lungs.

What did
I
do?  How can she make this all
my
fault?

“I didn’t do anything, mom. Take a nap. The drugs will wear off.”

Leaving her to her own madness, I walk back to Janey’s bedroom to find her slipping her shoes on.

“You are the most beautiful person.”

                               Chapter 27

I watched Janey as her date, Justin Loggins, picked her up. He’s a good kid from what I hear.

I’m glad that she’s able to enjoy her school years the way I couldn’t.

I jog along the side of the road, trying to keep the buzzing in my head down.

Its days like this that I wished Alan and Brian would have taken it a step further. I wished they would have killed me the way I plan to kill them.

I’ve been thinking about Alan, and what he said. He didn’t want to hurt me, but Brian made him. I know Brian is the oldest and he does have a way about him that has always made him the leader, but this isn’t right.

How can someone do that and blame someone else?

I hear a horn blowing behind me but I don’t pay attention. Assholes always blow their horn like that.

I keep jogging until I see a car pull up next to me. Glancing over, I see the window roll down.

“What the hell are you doing?” Robby’s smiling face comes into view as I stop and move toward his car.

“Hey you! What are you doing out here already?” Planting my hands on the roof of his car, I lean into the window.

“Got off early. I wanted to talk to you. Are you busy?” Glancing down at my sweaty clothes, I look back at him.

“Just jogging. I can meet you at the bar later.” Robby shakes his head before I smile.

“Get in the car. I don’t care about your sweat.” Giggling a little, I open the door and climb into the air conditioned car.

Robby looks me up and down before turning back to drive.

“What’s going on?” Catching my breath, I watch out the window.

“I was researching, and looking into Laura. I think you might be interested in what I’ve been finding.” My heart slams in my chest when he mentions her name.

Please God; don’t let him know about me.

“What did you find?” Waiting for the answer, I get a little nervous.

“Thought we could eat something. I’m starving.” Nodding my head, I don’t know if I like where this is going.

I swallow hard as Robby pulls into a parking lot of a little restaurant.

He climbs out before opening my door. Reaching for me, I take his hand and step out.

“Is this ok? I didn’t even ask.” His hand comes to rest on the small of my back as I nod. Something strange chokes me. I can feel it in the air around me.

“It’s fine.” Heading inside, I know something is off. This isn’t going to be a good meeting.

Robby pulls my chair out before I sit. I watch as he moves around to sit in front of me.

His smile turns into a smile that I’ve never seen before. It’s as evil as the ones I saw on Alan and Brian’s face, so many years ago.

“So, like I said. I was looking into a few things. You
do
know that I have connections with the sheriff’s office.” My eyes stay locked on his, but he doesn’t move.

“I think you can see where I’m going with this.” Shaking my head, I don’t want to admit it, but I do. I knew this wasn’t going to be good night, and here is the bullshit that always comes back to ruin me.

“What do you want, Robby?” His smile falls as he looks me dead in the eyes. My stomach rolls at the thought of what he’s about to say to me.

Whatever it is, it’s
not
good. I can see it in his eyes and feel it all throughout my body.

“
You
. I want
you
.”

                                    Chapter 28

Bile rises in my throat as my heart hammers. I refuse to be used by anyone else. Here I was thinking that Robby was different, but he is just as vile as the others.

“I don’t think so.” I start to stand when Robby slams his hand down on mine. Pain radiates up my arm as I look back at him. The look in his eyes is scary. It’s one of authority.

“Sit down. Don’t make a scene.” Lowering myself back into the chair, he releases my hand before I quickly pull it back into my lap.

“You can’t do this to me.” Shaking my head, he smiles.

“I know what you did to Lisa. I know that you got that shit from Jimmy.” Goddamn it! My plan backfired. It’s all coming back to me and it’s just a matter of time before Robby turns this information over to Alan and Brian.

Everything that I’ve worked for and planned. All the hell that I’ve had to endure is threatening to come back to bite me in the ass.

“I thought that would get your attention.” Looking back up at him, I want to throw up.

“What do you want from me? I have nothing to offer.” Leaning back in his seat, he crosses his arms over his chest.

“You have a lot to offer. You’re young, and beautiful. You didn’t know this, but I have a side gig going on.” I don’t like the sounds of this. A side gig? I’m afraid to know what it is.

“I run a whore house, if you will. High ranking clients pay a good penny for someone like you.” I knew it. I knew this wasn’t going to be good.

“And if I refuse?” Leaning his elbows on the table in front of us, he grins.

“I will blow your little killing out of the water. I will let the French boys know all about what you did to dear old sister. Why did you do it, anyway?” Grabbing his glass, I watch as he brings it to his lips taking a drink.

What do I do? What can I do? I won’t be used again!

“Why are you doing this? I thought you were different.” Trying to pull that card, I wait for him to respond. I figure it’s worth a shot to try it.

Rubbing his hand over his face, he looks a little lost himself.

“At first, I just wanted to get to know you. The more I saw of you, the more I knew I could make money off of you. I thought about keeping you for myself. I wanted you, I still want you. You have something different about you that sucks me in.” Grabbing my glass, I take a long drink as he watches me.

If only he knew how different I was, he wouldn’t want me anywhere near him.

“I need some time.” He laughs as he pushes himself away from the table.

“Don’t take too long. I may have to move on to your little sister.” Whispering against my ear, he licks it.

My body trembles as he walks away. What the hell am I going to do
now
? I can’t let him get anywhere near Janey, but how the hell am I going to protect her from him?

I won’t let him take her, or me for that matter. I’ve come too far, to have him ruin everything I’ve planned.

Sliding my phone out, I do the only thing I can think of.

“Hannah.”

                                   Chapter 29

“Thanks for coming to get me.” Drew nods his head as he holds the truck door open.

Climbing in, I wonder if calling him was the right choice. I don’t know that I’m ready to share this part of me with him yet.

Drew climbs in and takes off before he speaks.

“How did you get over here?” I don’t answer him right away, instead I sit in silence.

He doesn’t push me on anything, so I don’t offer it up.

Telling him that I’m now being black mailed for a murder isn’t going to be ideal at the moment. Telling him at all has my stomach in knots.

“Can we go somewhere tonight?” Drew glances over as I feel tears welling up in my eyes.

“Where?” Willing them to stop, I swallow hard. I don’t want to break down in front of him but I feel it coming.

“Anywhere. Anywhere there aren’t any people.” As if he can feel the tension that flows through me, he reaches for me, pulling me closer to him.

“I would take you anywhere, Han.” Lying my head on his shoulder, I let the motions of the truck lull me.

So many things are going around my head; I can’t get them under control.

My head is pounding, and my heart is hurting. I will do whatever it takes to keep Janey safe. I have too, I’m all she has.

“Han. Wake up beautiful.” Drew’s voice tugs me out of the peaceful sleep I was in. I almost don’t want to open my eyes; I was sleeping so well.

Opening my eyes, I see him sitting next to me. His devastatingly gorgeous features with those haunted eyes rip into my soul.

“Where are we?” Looking around, he climbs out of the truck.

We seem to be off in the woods somewhere. Climbing out of my side, Drew walks around to meet me.

“This is somewhere. You didn’t want to be near people. This is the furthest thing from people.” His eyes light up before he grabs my hand.

“How do you know about this place?” Looking around, I can see that the area is kept up by someone.

“It belongs to a friend of mine. I was in the Marines with him. Come on.” Following him into the small cabin, I feel a sense of unease. An unknown place with a nearly unknown man, way to go Hannah.

This isn’t my kind of place as nice as it seems though. I’m a little out of sorts here.

I follow Drew in and toward what I assume is the living room.

“He lets me use it when I need a break. It’s not fancy or anything but it’s a getaway.” Drew starts to walk away when I grab his hand.

For some reason, I need to feel that connection to him.

Yanking him back in front of me, he smiles.

“Don’t think you’re in control of us, Han. There will never be a time that I’m not in control.”

I don’t know if he can feel it too, or he just wants to please me, but the look in his eyes says he understands.