Unbeautifully Loved (Breathe Again) (41 page)

I winced. I was trying to wrap my pounding head around what was going through his mind, how he could actually think this was okay or a sign that I wanted to be with him. I couldn’t figure out how the Erik I met and the Erik now next to me was the same person because they were two entirely different people.

We stopped in front of a door at the end of the hall. Erik put the key in to unlock the door and looked down at me still grinning, his eyes dull but alive with excitement. I looked around and noticed, to my right at the other end of the hall, there was a door that I hoped would lead outside.

Pushing open the door he dragged me inside behind him. The room was dark and cold like the one I had been in. My stomach tightened; worried that when the light came on I was going to come face to face with someone I loved.

Please don’t let it be Finn or Lukas.

Or Mollie.

My body began to tremble and I pushed the pain aside, preparing myself for whatever came into view the moment the lights came on.

Erik moved and stood behind me.

“One,” he said placing one of his hands over my eyes, “Two.” I could feel him shift behind me. “Three,” he said loudly, making me jump as he flicked the lights on and removed his hand from my eyes.

And I saw him.

Oh, my God.

I doubled over dry heaving as tears filled my eyes and pain shocked my body back to reality.

“
Surprise
,” Erik said coldly, and then grabbed me, pulling me back up.

Oh thank God.

I stared at his limp, beaten body just a couple feet away sitting and tied to a wooden chair. His face was bloody with purple bruises beginning to show underneath, his left eye swollen shut, his nose and mouth had both dry and fresh blood around them; he took a beaten.

Was I seeing things?

“Dex?”

His head rolled to the side then lifted, his good eye squinting in my direction. “Alexia?” his voice croaked out.

I wasn’t. Dex was really sitting across from me, beaten and bloody; looking how I felt. “Erik what’d you do to him? Why’s he here?” I asked confused, my eyes not leaving Dex as he did his best to look between Erik and me.

“I took care of an incoming problem.” He moved around me then towards Dex and stood behind him.

“I don’t understand.” I looked between the two, clueless to what was going on. “What– what’s going on?”

“What’s going on you ask,” he glared at me then grabbed Dex by the hair pulling his head back. “
Alexia
wants to know what’s going on
Dex
. I guess now’s the time to tell her before I get rid of you, once and for all,” he seethed.

Erik let go of Dex and his head fell forward, “I just wanted to know where you and Finn were, so I could bring you home.” He grunted in pain. “This wasn’t supposed to happen, Erik what the fuck.”

“I still don’t understand,” I said lost, my brows knitted together.

“Dex and I go way back. We actually grew up together but then he left town and we lost touch until I moved into Kingston a couple years ago and we reconnected. Dex brought me into his
business
and the rest is history.” He slapped Dex on the back, and his eyes snapped in my direction. “I knew all about you and the night you, your little bitch and Finn skipped town. I was supposed to be on watch but I got caught up with one of the girls and was late; you guys were already gone.”

Oh, God.

Fuck
. Dex sent him after us.

I felt like I’d been kicked in the stomach again as I felt the air rush from my body. “You came looking for me.”

“He was so pissed; fucker here took his anger out on my face then sent me to find you.
Fuck
, I thought I was screwed, I had no idea where to begin, no idea how far ahead you guys were or anything. But then buddy here mentioned Bank’s & William’s.” He paused and looked at me knowingly.

Bank’s & William’s?

What did mine and Mollie’s fathers firm have to do with this?

“What about it?”

“Ah now, this is the best part. Your father, Mollie’s father and my father all work at the same firm; small world ‘eh. So after months of looking, I happened to stop by to see my father and I overheard a very interesting conversation regarding both your fathers and a place they purchased in the west.” He paused scratching the light stubble on his face. “So I got to thinking and after working my charm I found out the place was somewhere in or around a place called Camden and the rest is history. I headed out here; waited to tell Dex until I had proof you were actually here.”

“I don’t believe this,” I said looking from Erik to Dex, who was slumped over in the chair barely conscious.

“I thought finding you was gonna be a bitch of a time, I didn’t expect to find you my
first
fucking night
in town at Fishers. I was supposed to call Dex and let him know so he could come but I couldn’t, you were so beautiful I knew I had to have you so I bided my time in making the call. Once Mollie told me about what
he
,” he motioned to Dex, “did to you, I knew what my play was going to be.”

I had thought it was Dex playing a sick game to get me.

I was wrong, so wrong.

Everything had been a big ploy to get me where I was, and it worked. Erik came into my life playing the new friend who I then set up with my best friend and all the while planning for this moment.

This was Erik’s sick and twisted game and unlike Dex I didn’t know what to expect next.

“So what’s your big plan you so blatantly stated?”

“The only thing that will free you from your nightmare,” he said icily.

“And what exactly is that?”

“Kill Dex of course. With him dead he’s out of your life forever and we can start ours without the worry of him showing up and trying to get you back. He dies then your nightmare’s over,” Erik said coolly.

He can’t be
that
disturbed and fucked to actually think that to be true.

“You’re not serious,” I said.

Dex treated me like shit, and did a lot of fucking horrible things to me but I didn’t want him dead. I just wanted him to leave us alone, and live his life far away from Finn and me. Death wasn’t going to end my nightmare; moving forward with the man I loved and starting our life together was the only thing that would end my nightmare of Dex.

“Dead serious.”

“You can’t just kill him,” I argued, my voice sharp.

“Why not, after what he put you through and what he did to me, he deserves to die, to be forever out of our lives. It’s what you want, I know you do,” he shouted as he stood next to Dex who was coming around.

“He doesn’t deserve to die Erik, that’s the last thing I want,” I shouted, shaking my head. “My nightmare doesn’t end if he dies.”

Erik’s eyes narrowed and he stepped closer to me. “What does that mean, it doesn’t die with him,” he seethed. “Mollie told me he’s your biggest fear.”

I wasn’t about to delude him into thinking if he killed Dex I’d be his or that my nightmare would be over.

I knew this was going to be bad but I had nothing to lose.

“You think killing Dex will end my nightmare and I’ll want to be with
you
? What makes you better than
him
? Look at what you did to me Erik, look at me!” I screamed, clenching my teeth as I gripped the door handle for support, ignoring the stinging pain, “You think I’d actually be with you after
this
, that I’d let you
touch me
or be a
father figure
to
my
son? I don’t fucking think so,” I yelled.

“Alexia,” I heard Dex call but I ignored him.

Erik’s body shook with anger and his eyes shot daggers at me, but I couldn’t stop. It was going to be a risk, but it was one I was willing to take. I wasn’t going to let him win; this was a fight I was fighting in order to see my two guys again.

I continued, ignoring Dex again calling my name.

“My nightmare doesn’t
die
with him Erik because if he dies my nightmare then lies with you–
you
become my nightmare
.
My nightmare only ends when Dex is out of my life– alive, and you’re behind a steel door in a padded white room. My nightmare
ends
when I’m with
my
son and
Lukas
, the man I
love
. He’s the beginning to the end of my fucking
nightmare you sick psychotic fuck,” I shouted, my body pumping full of adrenaline.

Then everything happened so quickly.

Erik pulled something out from behind him.

Dex shouted my name causing my eyes to fly to him, not seeing what Erik had as he slammed it across my face, knocking me to the ground. I cried out as pain radiated through my body and stars filled my vision.

“Erik, no,” I heard Dex shout, sounding far away.

My head throbbed as I coughed, my ribs screaming in pain. I turned my head to look in his direction as he yelled again. “Alexia run, get out of here.”

My eyes met his and the room went hyper active, a loud bang echoed though the room.

Gunshot.

I flinched. Thinking it was aimed at me, my hands instinctively covering my head.

Looking from the corner of my eye I watched Dex’s body slump to the ground on his side, an arm’s length away from me.

Oh, God.

Blood poured from his chest and pooled around him and his eyes locked on to mine.

No. No.

I stifled a sob as I watched the life in Dex’s eyes fade away before they fluttered shut.

Dex.

“Oh God,” I choked out through a sob, “you killed him.”

My eyes moved away from Dex’s lifeless body and swung up to Erik, who was standing a few steps away; the gun still in his hands.

Erik ignored what I said as he walked closer to Dex’s body. He stood over him and he stared down at him, his face washed of any emotion, and his eyes glazed over.

The door beside me was still open. I was only a couple feet away, I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to make it anywhere but I had to try; it was all I had left.

One.

Erik bent over and grabbed Dex’s arm and started pulling him. I took a couple deep breaths preparing myself for the pain I was about to endure in the next five seconds.

Two.

I shoved myself up to my feet, the pain in both hands sharp and unbearable. Moving as fast as I could, I made it out the door and into the hall. Adrenaline pulsated through me, numbing the pain. I ran down the hall in the direction Erik had brought me, my eyes on nothing but the door at the end.

“You stupid
bitch
,” his laugh rang out loudly, “you won’t get very far,” he promised.

I looked over my shoulder to see him stalking after me. I made it to the end of the hall and threw open the door then ran inside. Once inside I looked around frantically looking for a way out.

Where the hell am I?

It was dark and cold. A dim light came from under a door across the room and caught my attention.

I ran to it, praying it wasn’t locked and that it lead outside. I reached the door, and quickly stopped and looked over my shoulder and saw no sign of Erik. I pushed open the door and stumbled outside.

It was dark, but the sky was beginning to lightening with the sun close to rising. Being the middle of August the air was crisp but felt warm against my cool skin. Cradling my arm to my chest, I looked around. The building behind me, the one I had just stumbled out of was an old rickety barn. The light I had saw shine under the door had come from a small light post that was planted a few feet away from the door.

Shit
.

Where did Erik bring me?

Fuck.

There was nothing but open land in front of me, a dirt road to my right and more open land that was covered in old farming equipment and fenced off a couple yards away to my left. I took off in the direction of the dirt road, having no other option or idea of how far it was ‘til I reached the road.