ACE's COLORADO HOUSE
CAMILLE
I didn't speak a word to him. I was scared to. It's been a long drive.
I didn't know him to actually speak to him. Future husband. As if.
I would sneak snips of what he look like and he was actually attractive. He looked to be in his late twenties. Probably thirties. He had tattoos crawling up his neck and just similar to Carter, he had some on his head.
He had piercings and I wondered-
"If your curious, you can just ask." He spoke to me for the first time.
I swallowed the large lump in my throat that prevented me from speaking. What should I say? I had nothing to say?
He sighed while shaking his head. "I'll speak then. I will be honest and say this now. I don't want to marry you. You seem like a nice girl that means well but I am doing this for the benefit of the family. A few months of a marriage then your free to do whatever you want." He said before continuing.
"I won't harm you. Your brother has made sure of that on our way to that safe house."
I frowned in confusion. I didn't understand. I thought Carter was upset with me. So, upset that he left my life in the hands of a stranger. I sighed and looked back towards the window. Still not speaking.
"Are you hungry?" He asked.
"No."
Yes.
Then just on cue my stomach makes an ugly grumbling sound. My cheeks flush in embarrassment from my lie.
A small chuckle escaped his lips. "Your stomach begs to differ, Camille."
Chills went down my spine when he said my name with emphasis. It sounded foreign to my ears but sounded good rolling off his tongue.
The stranger might be attractive but I won't look dumbfolded because of his looks and his authoritative sexy voice.
"We're about to pass a few fast food places, so, if you want anything, speak now." He said.
I had a side that was stubborn to accept anything from the man but I had another side that was hungry.
Starve or eat?
"Cam?"
Cam? No one's ever called me that. I wanted to reply with a smart retort but gave in when my stomach grumbled once again.
"I want a burger and large fries." I said.
"Where?"
"Whatever's close." I shrugged.
The car fell in silence as he drove down the street. I sighed as I let my thoughts conjure me. But one thought actually roamed my mind continuously.
The next few months were going to get interesting.
****
TIANA
I hissed whenever Carter cleaned up my wound. We were in the bathroom and I sat on the counter top while Carter cleaned me up. I was still sore and it's be about a few hours since all went down.
I took a shower and got myself together. I ate and I couldn't sleep after. My body ached all over.
"Tell me who marked up your body." He demands in a low, firm tone.
I sighed. It hurt to even say that my mother, the one who raised me with her kindness but strictness has beat me.
"M-My mother. She wanted me to give some information on you and when I didn't, she beat me til I was bleeding. I-I was held back not able to defend myself." I explained.
His jaw ticked as he stared over my face. The anger was evident as his eyes went down and stayed locked to my neck. He didn't have to speak for me to know what he wanted to know.
"I-my ex....Donovan tried to...." I paused as I remembered what he was going to do to me. "H-He pushed me on the bed, pinning me down and tried to kiss me. I turned my head but that didn't stop him from kissing my neck." I said with much disgust while tears formed in my eyes.
I took in his look and I don't think furious was the right word to use. His face was a darker shade of red and his hands were clenched in fist.
"How far did he touch you?" Carter asked with a hard tone.
"He didn't get to far. He kissed me and I bit his lip and he started squeezing my neck to the point I couldn't breathe. I kneed him in his crotch and he got off of me and I grabbed the knife that he brought with him when he brought me something to eat." I told him and that did nothing but add fuel to the fire.
He moved, his hand reaching up and lightly cupping my neck from behind. His thumb rubbed over the hand marks on my neck. I stared into his face but he didn't mind because he was examining my neck closer. A shaky breath left his lips while he pulled back.
"I'm sorry." I muttered.
"It's not your fault. Stop apologizing. I should've took you with me knowing that fvcker was still out there. You don't deserve to be treated like that especially when you thought your parents were dead." He said and I took in his words.
His fingers then stroked my face. "I don't ever want to see you like this again."
Tears slipped and I looked down. My face was bruised and swollen. Ugly. I wouldn't want to see my face either.
He grabbed my chin making me look at him. "I'm not saying what your thinking, babe. Your gorgeous inside and out. I don't want see your face marked up like this again." He said while wiping the tears the escaped my eyes.
After a long moment of silence, I decided to break it. "Where are they?" I asked him.
His ticked. "In the basement, getting stripped down."
My brows crashed together. "Why?"
"I'm killing every last one of them." He said without hesitation.
I swallowed hard. "Y-You can't."
He looked at me with that blank expression. "Don't start with me, Tiana. I just got you back and-"
I shook my head quickly. "No, I meant...you can't kill them yet." I said.
I had unanswered questions and I've been told so many lies. I just wanted to know if it was true or not.
"Why?"
"Because...." I trailed off as those intense eyes look at me. I sighed.
"Tina." I blurted out the name. I also payed close attention to his reaction.
He frowned and stood tall. "Where did you hear that name?"
"From the crazy family I was born into. They told me a lot of things. I just want to get your side if it is true."
His frown deepen. "She's irrelevant."
He grabbed my arm to help me off the counter but I pulled back and stared at him. "So you do know her? How?"
Please answer me. Those three words went in circles in my head. I hope he wasn't going to give me bullshît. He stood infront of me in silence.
"Answer me, Carter. I want to know if what they said was a lie."
He sighed with much irritation and shook his head. "I had my share of women in the past. Before we," he motioned between us. "happen." He said before continuing. "I was expected to be a lot of things back then and I was young and dumb. Yeah, I know Tina and she's left in the past."
I stayed silent and waited for him to continue further but he didn't. "D-Did you rape her?"
He stared at me. Really stared at me. I didn't look away either.
"Do you think I'm capable of doing something like that?" He questioned back in a firm tone.
I want to say no but I couldn't help but have a gut feeling. Yeah, he has changed. He was sweet and loving to me now but his past might be a dark field.
When I didn't say a thing, he spoke again. "Do you trust me?"
Yes, I did.
"You know I do but that doesn't answer my question. Did you?" I said back and he stepped back a few steps.
"Answer my previous one." He demands.
I sighed. "I-I think you were cable of doing that in the past but-"
I stopped myself when he gave a chuckle. A bitter chuckle. I frowned. After a moment, he gave me a strained facial expression.
"That shît hurt. No, I didn't rape her. I never did such a thing to a woman. Yeah, I killed them and others but I have a reason behind it. I don't go around killing fvckers just for play, Tiana." He said.
I stared into his eyes and dejection was in his eyes. My heart ached as I even regretted even thinking he was capable of doing such a thing.
"Carter, I didn't-"
He sighed loudly. "I got to get some shît figured out. The entire warehouse is a mess. I'll leave you to rest. I'll be back in a few hours." And with that, he walked out the bathroom and out his room with the sound of his door closing.
I sighed knowing I had messed up. It's just crazy shît going on around me and it's nerve wrecking and hard. Hard to keep my emotions intact. Hard to believe who could be telling the truth.
I should have started this in a different way. It's just been a crazy shîtty night.
I got off the counter and walked out the bathroom. I cut off all the lights and I got on the bed and got comfortable. I pulled the duvet over my body and laid there staring at the door.
I wanted to run out and find him but I knew he needed the space and he was probably long gone.
I shouldn't have doubted....
__________
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