The lady in Red (REWRITTEN!)

Chapter 31

Family. My family. It sounded like a curse coming from my mouth. It'd been years since I last mentioned them to someone. The name of family never appalled me, but the mention of mine...it caused my insides to tighten reflexively. My body, soul, and mind had enough of their torments to be mentioning them again. My blood was freezing in my veins. Reminiscing my darkest days caused my whole body to internally curl up in a ball.

"You're afraid of your family if the Kapoor case reaches Boston," he says, matter of factly, rather than questioning it. I look outside of the small oval window, and watch the clouds whirl by us, breaking apart and turning into thinner clouds.

"They'll find me, Reece," I whisper, too quietly. But he hears me. Images of the faces I hadn't thought about in years suddenly attaches themselves into my brain. I see it and now I can't ignore it.

"Who hurt you?" This time I look at him, and a single tear slides down my cheek.

"Who didn't?" My single statement causes him to lean back against the seat, his jaw ticking visibly. His eyes soften for me, but not enough. Reece can't always hide from me. I catch his fingers balling into a fist before he releases them, and I take this as a moment to grab his bruised hand. Startled, he looks down at me as I get down on my knees in front of him.

"I know you want to help me. But, please...don't." My voice cracks as I look back into his eyes from his knuckles. He knows nothing—not if he has never seen death up close before. Even though my eyes are open, I can't stop the memories of the past come rushing back to me in a single slideshow.

"Catherine—"

"You'll make sure it doesn't reach Boston, right? You'll do that for me?" I plead, my fingers tightening against his hands. In reciprocation, he squeezes tighter than me until his whole hand is engulfing mine.

"What are you afraid of?" He asks, leaning down until we're at eye level. His smoldering eyes are so intense, I have to look away. But Reece is no longer giving me the freedom to turn away. Instead, his fingers find my chin and he swiftly pulls my attention back to him. Another single tear slides down my cheeks, and I hate that I'm so vulnerable right now. So weak. Certain memories make me weak, and there's nothing I can do to hide from it.

"They will find me, and they will take me away. I can't let them take me away. I've been hiding for years, living my life discreetly. If they find out and take me away, they'll—" I cast off, unable to finish that sentence.

"They will what?"

"They will kill me." There, I said it. The plane bounces again, and I lose my balance but a vise grip on my hands prevent me from tumbling. I opened too much. What did I do? I don't do this. I can't. I try to make a run for it by trying my hardest to pull away from him, but his grip tightens on me. Instead of keeping me in the same position, he suddenly pulls me to him until I'm almost straddling him.

"Tell me who," he demands, his voice turning lethal. There's too many to name. Too many to count. My parents are dead, so there's only the rest of them. I close my eyes, and reminisce the days that I spent being tormented by my uncles, aunts, and cousins. I remember the time when I was whipped, and beaten up by my uncles at the age of 13. I remember the days when my aunts used to starve me. I remember my cousins sexually assaulted me. An unexpected sob breaks loose from my mouth.

"All of them." Understanding dawns on him as he squeezes my waist, urging me to go on.

"They used to beat me, and starve me, and...and..." I remember being held down, pinned to my doom for years. I couldn't fight back for years even if I tried. My innocence was taken from me before I even knew what that term meant.

"I ran when I was eighteen. Oregon to Boston. Your father found me, and I've been hiding ever since. My information, and credentials were kept a secret."

"You went from Catharina Watson Blacksmith to Catherine White," he chips in, his lethal eyes twinkling under the dimmed light. I nod my head, weakly. That name. It's been years since that name disappeared from my life, since anyone ever dug it back up. Blacksmith died the moment my parents died.

"Catherine White gave me my freedom."

"Why are you afraid of me helping you?"

"Because one person tried. And they killed her." Carrie Caldwell. My middle school friend. I remember her death like it was yesterday. The world believed it was an accident. But I knew better. Reece captures me into his strong arms and squeezes until my face is burrowed into the hollow of his neck. Instinctively, I clutch him tighter, and visibly relax.

"Do you trust me?" His fingers find my hair, and I peer up to meet his gaze.

"I trust you," I submit.

"I told you before, and I'll tell you again. You're mine and no one hurts what's mine."

"I don't want them to find me."

"They won't. No one is taking you away from me."

"They're dangerous." A dark glint meets his eyes, and I visibly shiver against his hold. A calculating lift of his lips later and I finally realize who exactly I'm dealing with. I swallow as he pins my hair behind my ear. The brush of his fingers against my skin causes goosebumps to break out all over my body. He doesn't have to say it. I can see it in his eyes, and they speak volumes. I could never underestimate this man.

"Come on. Let's get your mind off of this."