★
V A U G H N
Muggers. Damn it!
"Oh my God! Vaughn, go and see what's wrong with him." Claire directs me, making me look at her in disbelief.
"Are you crazy?" I grip the steering wheel tighter to stop myself from shouting. "He's a mugger. You get out of the car and he will rob you."
She widens her eyes like I have spoken something unholy.
"How can you be so cruel, Jackson?" She points towards the body on the road. "That person could be injured and in need of our help. Where's all your 'charity' now?"
I squeeze my eyes shut. "He's not injured, Claire. That's just a trick."
"You're unbelievable, Jackson!" she grunts. "I was about to die yesterday. That body could have been me. That man must be in need of us."
"Yes, he needs us to rob for sure," I grumble, the center of my forehead ticking in pain. I hear the sound of the car door opening and turn to find her getting out of the car.
Bloody Hell!
"Claire..." I stretch a hand to grab her wrist to pull her back but she is already out and slams the door shut. "Blondie! Get back here."
She ignores me as she walks to the person lying on the road. I hold my head between my hands, clutching my hair in frustration.
Claire Hill, known her entire life for being the mean girl — killed by an untimely change of heart.
I grab the steering wheel as I watch her and just as I predicted, the person moves just as Claire is about to touch him. I notice her gasping as she takes a step back while the stranger, dressed in baggy jeans and a brown jacket, gets up from the road to block her way. He is wearing a black mask to cover his face and only his eyes can be seen from the two holes poked on it.
"And people say marriage is fun," I mutter under my breath as Claire starts to run back towards the car like a lost puppy.
I was right. She has no idea how real life works.
I am about to hit the engine when more masked goons spring out from the woods surrounding the road. Claire stops in her tracks two feet short of the car, looking at me and I follow her gaze to find a tall, burly man pointing a gun towards me through the window to my side.
My lovely wife shrieks, covering her mouth with her palms while I am completely frozen with the question of how to proceed next. The man with the gun knocks at the window of the car, signaling me to roll it down.
I quietly do as asked, mentally scolding myself for not bringing my licensed pistol with me today. I have never needed it. But clearly, I underestimated Claire.
The man slips his other hand in, unlocking the car and opening the door.
"Get out," he orders in a rough voice and I climb down with my hands raised above my head.
"What a day, man!" the other guy, who was lying on the road before, tells his companion, and they laugh with him.
I feel the barrel of the gun on my spine as the man pushes me at Claire. I look at her with a clenched jaw while she observes the road distractedly, probably sorry for not paying heed to my warning. I am pushed towards her and collide with her body, my hands instantly reaching to her waist, holding her close for me. She holds me too as she looks at the goons.
"What do you want?" I ask the men and they look at each other before bursting into laughter again.
"Money, dude," one of them replies. "Raise your hands above your head."
Claire and I look at each other before I release her to put my hands above my head. One of the men comes towards me while the other keeps his gun pointed at my head.
Claire sobs loudly as the man searches my pockets and takes out my wallet and phone. He checks for cash and throws my wallet on the road after taking out the cash and shoving it in his pocket.
"You..." The man with the gun moves the barrel to Claire. "Get your purse and phone."
"It's...it's in the car," Claire tells him, scared and shivering.
The man directs one of his companions to search the car and they find Claire's purse. They take it along with her phone.
"There's nothing else here, boss," the man who searched the car shouts at the burly man.
"Take whatever you get and come here," the boss man orders, his sharp gaze not leaving me.
They take what they find before coming back and standing behind their boss. Claire holds my arm as she moves behind me when one of the goons glances at her.
"What's that?" Their boss asks Claire, pointing towards her finger.
She follows his eyes and it lands on her wedding ring. The big diamond shines in the afternoon sunlight, attracting the goons' attention further.
"Give that!" Another man, a lanky one, steps forward but I hold Claire to me, keeping her behind me.
"Claire," I say to her softly. "Give them the ring."
"No," she answers and I am startled by her reaction.
I look at her and find her covering the ring with her other hand as she looks at the men.
"What do you mean? Give them the ring, Claire," I repeat sternly.
"No!" she protests loudly.
"Give us the ring, girl," the man with the gun snarls at her.
He signs to one of his men to move to Claire.
"No, please..." Claire begs, bursting into fresh tears. "Take everything but not this."
The man stops and looks at his boss. The boss looks at me.
"Give them the ring, Claire," I sigh. "I know you like it but it's not the time for that. I'll buy you another one."
She snaps her eyes at me with an accusatory look in them. "No," she says to me. "It's my wedding ring. I'm not losing it."
Silence surrounds us as I let her words sink in. She looks so serious about the ring, guarding it close to her chest. I find myself speechless as I stare at her. I never expected Claire to hold such beliefs about marriage — especially our marriage. She doesn't want to part with the ring because it's her wedding ring.
Her wedding to me?
"Claire..."
"Enough of this drama!" the burly boss barks suddenly. "If she won't give the ring..." He looks at me and I can imagine the wicked smirk behind his masked face. "Then take the girl."
Before I can stop them, one of the men grabs Claire and hauls her to him. The others laugh and jeer as I try to pull her back but their leader points his gun straight to my chest.
"Vaughn!" Claire cries as the man holds her by her throat, squeezing right.
"Now, now, lassie," the man jeers at her, trailing his other hand down her body, pinching her thigh. She screams and I fist my hands, rage fueling me. "We're gonna have some fun."
"We're gonna share you," another man adds from behind, laughing as they whistle.
"No, please..." I say to their boss. He is the only one who didn't laugh or jeer at Claire. He has his gaze fixed on my car and I find an idea storming my mind. "Let her go. Take the car instead."
The boss seems to ponder over my offer for a moment and he looks between Claire and the car.
"It's a brand new model," I continue. "More expensive than her ring. Take it. Leave my wife alone."
He strokes his chin thoughtfully while his companions continue laughing and teasing Claire. She is looking expectantly at me, her pleading eyes begging me to do something.
"Fine," the boss says, lifting a hand and silencing the others. "But first..." He looks at me and points the gun to my forehead. "Kneel."
I look at him, something twisting in my stomach in disgust, and then at Claire who has her eyes widened. I have never knelt to anyone in my life and now, I have to kneel to a bloody mugger? To save Claire?
My blood boils even at the thought of bowing down to this disgusting man. I bite my bottom lip, narrowing my eyes at Claire. She looks more nervous than scared. It's like she has already read my mind.
"C'mon, dude, we don't have all day." The boss touches the cold barrel of the gun to my forehead. "It's fun watching you rich assholes beneath us sometimes. Kneel..." He presses harder. "Or give us the girl."
I close my eyes, inhaling deeply. To me, kneeling before someone means giving up my self-respect. I am not the kind of man who takes that kind of thing lightly.
That's what my Dad taught me: never kneel before anyone other than the one who you see as your equal.
When I open my eyes, they meet Claire's frightened ones. The only person Dad ever knelt before was my Mom. She was the only one he never considered beneath him. She was his equal and he wasn't afraid to bow down to her because he knew that bowing down to her wouldn't demean him. She wouldn't demean him.
"Vaughn..." Claire's voice sounds sad and painful as she says my name.
She is scared that I will leave her to them, that I will give up. I won't ever do that. Mom was Dad's equal and I see Claire as mine, even if we never see eye to eye on a single thing.
I will kneel. Not for the men.
I will kneel for my girl.
I raise my hands above my head and do as commanded.
I kneel, keeping my eyes on Claire. She stares at me, a teardrop trailing down her cheek and falling to the ground.
The goons snicker as they see me in this vulnerable position while their boss releases a throaty chuckle.
"Leave the girl," the boss orders to the man holding Claire and he releases her, pushing her roughly at me.
I catch her in my arms before she can fall and she hides her face in my chest, fisting my shirt in her hands as she sobs.
The goons get in the car and drive away, leaving us alone in the middle of the empty road with nothing but woods on all sides.