Cursed Love: Cursed Love (Cursed, #1) (9 page)

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“No, it kinda sucked ass when I found out. I was hoping to come up with a plan before I told you. “

“Well, it would’ve been nice to know right away, fucker.”

He swats his hand in the air gesturing for me to shut up.

“Don’t worry, Linc, the guys and I ran into this cute lil’ thing this morning at the diner. She’s a bit off, but said she was looking for a place to stay for a few months. I told her to come over around noon to check it out.”

I roll my eyes at him. Of course he’d find a tenant that he thought was cute. I just need him to keep his dick in his pants long enough for her to sign the lease.

“Whatever. Just make sure she signs and gives you her first and last month’s rent before she moves in. We’re not getting screwed again like last time.”

“Sorry, no can do. I have plans and won’t be here to meet with her. It’s up to you to charm her so that she loves the place enough to move in.”

Motherfucker!

“Dault, you fucking suck. How do you know that I don’t have shit to do?”

He shrugs his shoulders and starts to laugh.

“Dude, it’s Sunday. You
never
have plans on a Sunday. Now, pull up your big girl panties and deal with it,” he says as he chuckles.

I fucking hate him right now.

“Fine, I need to get my shit together before she gets here. What’s her name, or should I just call her ‘cute lil’ thing’?” I say in a mocking tone.

“Yeah, that might not sound right coming from you. Me maybe, but not you.”

“Whatever, just tell me her name,” I say with a smirk.

“It’s Gretchen, but she said to just call her Etty.”

“Got it, I’ll see you later.”

“Later.”

I grab a paper towel and clean up my mess of coffee. Tossing the wet towels into the trash, I grab my mug and head up the stairs for a shower.

If this chick is coming in the next hour or so, I need to make sure I’m somewhat dressed.

We need this tenant and I don’t want to freak her out the first day we meet.

Chapter 10

This has to be one of the craziest things I’ve ever done. It’s not like I knew where I’d plant myself once I left Oregon, but I sure as hell didn’t plan on it being in a small town in Birmingham, Alabama.

I have to laugh at myself and the craziness that is very much becoming my life.

Independence and making my own choices is something I’ve not done in a long time. I’m kinda enjoying being my own person again.

For the past few years I didn’t have a say in
anything
. Rick chose my clothes, makeup, and hair style. I was his minion and he had complete control over everything I did and said.

I wasn’t to look or speak to anyone unless he gave me the signal. I was more like his pet than his girlfriend. I was held captive with the inability to know or understand what the hell was going on in my own life.

Every morning I was injected with some type of drug that made me feel numb. By mid-day I was forced to swallow pills as he held my arms down with his legs.

I got to the point that I didn’t fight him—it was pointless. He was bigger and stronger than I was. Plus, the more I put up a struggle the harder his punch was to my stomach.

There were times that the beatings were so intense I didn’t know if I’d ever wake up. I can’t even count on my fingers the times he made me clean up the blood spatter on the walls and floor.

It was a miserable way to live and I thank God every second for giving me the will to fight through and break free once and for all.

I just pray that he never finds me.

The night I left, I was scared out of my mind. I’d been planning my escape for weeks, worried that the smallest thing would go wrong. I ran through the checklist of things I had to do a million times. I had everything down perfectly, so I had hoped.

It was the middle of the week and Rick was taking us to the Grand Slam Club just as he always did on a Wednesday night.

It was my least favorite night of the week because he had me scheduled to tend to four of his regular guys.

When it came time for him to slip me my pill for the night, I took it like a good girl and he didn’t force me. I held it under my tongue until he turned to reach for the glass of water on the countertop. Rather than swallowing it like I was supposed to do, I slipped it into my cleavage to save it for later that night.

I did what I had to do to get through the night, minus the help of drugs. Each guy enjoyed the oral pleasures I provided and even gave Rick a tip for my new blue hair color he’d chosen for me.

He was happier than a pig in shit, and I knew he’d take it easy on me when I got home for my good behavior at the club.

We got back to our place a little after three in the morning and Rick went straight to the bedroom. I went to the kitchen to fetch him a glass of water and slipped in the pill I’d been hiding in my boobs all night. Stirring the water with my finger ‘til it was clear, I took it into the room and handed it to him with three Advil. He chugged it down without a second thought and laid his rugged body in the center of the bed.

Changing into my yoga pants and tank top, I watched as he fell into a deep sleep.

The vision of safety played through my mind as adrenaline spiked within my veins. I was nervous, anxious, and scared all at the same time.

That was my moment—my time to break out of the vicious abuse cycle he was putting me through day in and day out. I had no other choice but to leave and save myself.

I already had my suitcase packed and hidden in the laundry chute of the apartment complex. All I needed to do was grab the stash of cash hidden in the toilet tank and make a run for it.

I didn’t have a car since Rick had sold mine, so I had to run all the way to the bus stop to pick up a ride.

By the time I reached my destination, my chest was heaving and sweat was falling from my forehead.

Trying to steady my nerves and calm my breathing, I bought my ticket and boarded the Greyhound Bus to the next city. My hopes were that I’d be far enough from Oregon by the time he woke up from his drugged and drunken haze.

Not knowing what he did when he found me missing still sends chills through my body. If he ever comes to find me I can guarantee that he’ll kill me. Not only did his money maker pick up and leave him, but I also left with his cash.

Once I hit the next city on my route, I searched for a car that would get me cross-country. I didn’t need anything fancy, just something that would help me get further away.

Lucky for me, I found a used black Nissan Sentra with a For Sale by Owner sign in the windshield. I found a payphone, called the number, and within a few hours I had my ride to safety.

As I look back on the last few weeks of my life, I’m proud of myself. Now it’s time to move on with my life and start fresh.

I still can’t believe I’m looking at this place today. I’m a single girl with one small suitcase; why the hell would I need a two bedroom townhouse?

At this point, I’m not going to stress about the size of the place. If it’s livable and cheap…it’s for me.

Pulling up to the address Daulton gave me, I park my car along the curb behind a charcoal colored sports car.

I look up to the house off the road to make sure I have the right address. This place looks way too nice for the price he’s charging me in rent.

There’s a small porch linking the two houses together and a decent sized yard on either side. The exterior has tan siding with a huge window in the front and two smaller windows on the second floor.

I get out of my car and walk up onto the sidewalk. There are a few steps leading to the porch and two rocking chairs on either side. I step toward the door to the left and reach my hand out to knock. The door flies open, causing me to stumble into a hard surface.

Blinking my eyes to refocus from my awkwardness, I feel along his chest before I can register what I’m doing. I step away, completely embarrassed.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry. I was just about to knock on the door when it went flying open.”

I look up into his dark brown eyes and he’s scrunching his brows in confusion.

My eyes begin to scan him. His dark brown hair is covered with a baseball hat and his dark eyes hold a secret mystery behind them.

From his head to his toes, he’s wearing a blue t-shirt with Ominous written across the chest and faded jeans. His arms are covered in black designs filled in with colors of incredible ink. A chain hangs from his belt linking to his back pocket and he’s wearing a black pair of Chucks. I bring my eyes back to his to see that he’s studying me with the same intent look.

Extending my hand in front of me, I watch as he looks down at my arm.

He’s covered in tattoos so I
know
he’s not judging me on my appearance. I mean, come on, I might have my
own
sleeves of ink and blue hair, but there’s no need to stare.

He clears his throat and looks at me and then back down to my hand.

What the hell? I’m just trying to be polite. What’s a girl got to do to get a handshake and a hello?

Whatever. I might as well initiate our introductions.

“Hi, I’m Gretchen, but just call me Etty.”

His eyes glance from my hand to my eyes. I feel like he’s sucking me in with his soul. Those eyes are so dark, his demeanor so closed off…who the hell is this guy?

He reaches his arm from beside his leg to touch mine.

With a firm shake of his warm hand he finally speaks, “I’m Linc, I own this place.”

Ahh, there we go, he has a voice.

“Oh, I see. I was supposed to meet Daulton here at noon. Does he live here, too?”

“Yeah, he’s my roommate. He mentioned that you’d be coming to check out the place. Give me a second; I was just about to run out to my car to get the spare keys.”

I nod my head and give him a questionable smirk.

“Where’s Daulton? He said I’d be meeting with him.”

“Don’t mind Dault—he’ll tell ya one thing and then do the opposite. He already had plans for today, so instead you get me for the guided tour.”

“Umm, okay.”

He brushes his body against my side as he walks past me to the curb. I stand in awe, wondering all too much about this Linc guy.

I’ve only just met him, but my mind is running a million miles a minute to figure out what it is that he’s hiding behind those eyes. I know that we all have a few skeletons hiding in our closet. Shit, I have about a hundred. There’s something about him that’s nagging at me and I suddenly want to get to know him better.

I watch as he slides into his car. It’s an older car that he either bought or restored to mint condition. Not knowing my ass from a hole in the ground when it comes to cars, I haven’t a clue what kind it is, but it looks sick as hell.

He gets out and shuts the door behind him. Tossing a set of keys into the air, he snatches them up without even looking. His eyes are glued to mine.

Walking up alongside of me, he gestures for me to walk to the other side of the porch. I follow his lead to the door. He enters the key into the lock and opens the door. I walk into the house before him and stand, waiting for him to show me around.

We both stand in silence for a few seconds until I feel the need to speak up.

“Well, since this is your place, will you show me around or do you expect me to give myself the guided tour?”

His head snaps to me and he lets out a puff of air. Shaking his head, he starts to walk through the living room.

He leads me through each room of the townhouse in absolute silence.

This guy has some serious issues. And here I thought
I
was fucked up.

The house looks amazing and comes completely furnished with what looks to be brand new furniture. There’s a couch and chair in the living room, a high-top table and stools in the kitchen, and a queen-sized bed with two dressers in each of the bedrooms.

I couldn’t have found a more perfect place on my own if I tried. With the money I took from Rick, and what’s left after I bought the car, I still have enough to pay for the six month lease with some left over.

It feels really good to find a place to call home, at least for now.

Chapter 11

My mind is a jumbled mess. I can’t get over the fact that Jo has picked up and left Birmingham. To make matters worse, she left without saying goodbye.