Fantasy Attraction (Hidden Secrets) (18 page)

“How am I ever going to get everything back? Pfft Why even bother?”

Before I could say anything her phone rang.  When she looked at the number, her face paled. Immediately, I’m on guard.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

~COLLEEN~

How was this possible?  How could they have found me? I could feel my body shake, but for some ungodly reason I answered the phone anyway. Clearing my throat, I kept my head down.  I didn’t want to look at anyone and let them see me break as I talked to my past.

“Hello?” My voice was stronger than I thought it would be.

“You having fun?”

“Who is this?”

“You know damn well who it is!” The voice hissed.

“No
, I don’t or I wouldn’t have asked.” I hissed my lie right back to at them.

The truth
was I knew exactly who it was, even if I hadn’t recognized the number.  The voice on the other end has haunted many of my nightmares.  My brain never seemed to let me forget it as much as I wanted to.  Of course I guess it’s hard to forget the voice of someone that once held your life in their hands and you prayed to either have a quick death or to survive so you could kill them.

“You’re just as bad of liar now as you were then.  Why don’t we skip formalities shall we?  I hear you a
re shacking up with some guy.  I also hear that he has money.”

My eyes immediately rose to Carson’s and I can feel his anger and worry even standing across the room.  Once our eyes
met, I couldn’t look away, but I could feel my anger and strength, build as if it was being given to me from Carson.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.  Why don’t you get to the point?  I have things to do and none of them include walking down memory lane with you!” I snapped.

“Well, well, well, someone grew a backbone.  You know exactly why I am calling.  There is a matter of a debt you have not paid.”

“I told you then and I will tell you now.  That is NOT my debt to pay.  You are barking up the wrong tree, if you think you are getting anything out of me.” I hissed.

“You better be careful little girl.  I know who you are and where you came from.  I know how to handle your ass.”

“I wish I would have killed you when I had the chance.  LEAVE ME THE FUCK ALONE!!” I screamed.

Just as I was hanging up, I hear the sneered comment about regretting it, but I really don’t care at this point.  All my life, I spent running from one person or another.  It was hard to settle down and make a name for yourself and make friends when you had to pack up and move only months later after arriving.  Being here is the longest I have been in one place.  For one whole year I have been able to stay here.  I thought for sure I had finally out ran them or they realized that I wasn’t responsible for that debt, but I was wrong.  Of course it would come at a time when I was finally happy and loved.

Looking around the room that was now quiet, everyone’s eyes were on me.  They were going to want to know what was going on and I couldn’t do it.  There was no way I was bringing them down with me.  They were too good of people to be brought down by me.  I moved to the
counter, grabbed my keys and threw them at Carson.

“Lock up when you leave please,” with that I turned and ran out of the door.

God, it felt good to have the wind in my hair and the cement at my feet.  Honestly, I was ready for bed after all that cleaning, but that phone call had me on edge again.  It has been a while since I felt this way.  How did they find me after all these years?  How am I going to get away from them now?  Oh God! I was going to have to leave Carson.  My stomach turned and I ran faster. My heart hurt and my body ached.  My body had been through a lot this past week and the stress I’ve been through my whole life wasn’t helping me any.

I rounded the curve and slowed to a stop as I made my way to the sandy spot.  Searching for a peace that always came from this place, but sadly it wasn’t found.  My mind was still racing and my heart was still hurting.  I was going to lose him and why because of something out of my control.

“Why did they have to find me? Damn it!” I yelled as I punched the ground.

“Who found you,
Angel?”

Jumping a scream escaped as I tumbled backwards.

“I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean to scare you, but if you thought I was letting you run off by yourself you are wrong.  Now, tell me what’s going on?”

I stood up and brushed the sand off me.  Clearing my throat, I prepared to try and avoid the conversation at all possible.

“Did you lock up my apartment?  Not that there is anything there to steal or destroy now,” I said frowning.

“I did, but you aren’t answering my question.” He said taking a step closer to me.

“I’m starving.” I stated as I started to walk around him.

He quickly wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me to him.  Breathing him in, I was going to lose this.  Holding him tighter, I rested my head on his chest and just let him hold me.  If I was going to lose all this, then I wanted to enjoy it while I had it.

A few minutes passed before either of us spoke.  I think we were both just so lost in our thoughts that we hadn’t realized how much time had passed.

“Carson?”

“Yeah?”

“Can we go home now? I’m exhausted.”

“Sure.” He said sadly.

He thought I was going to talk to him about the phone call, but I just couldn’t.  This was a mess, but it was a mess I had to straighten out for myself.  I couldn’t bring him down with me.  No I needed to figure this out.  Somehow, I needed to figure this out.

We walked back to his truck in silence. The drive to his house was silent.  The whole time I had worked out a plan.  As much as it pains me, I was going to be leaving…tonight.  Just one more night with the only man I have ever truly loved and trusted.  Tonight, I would walk away from the only happiness I have had since I was thirteen years old.  A tear trickled down my face.  I moved to wipe it away quickly, but Carson’s hand was there.  I turned my head to look at him.  The look I saw was not sadness, but loss.  My heart sped up as I started to panic.  I thought for a moment he knew what I was going to do.

“
Angel, I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong.”

“Then why the tears?”

“I was thinking about my dad,” I said as I got out of his truck and headed up to the door to the house.

He followed behind me, but we weren’t the happy couple entering the house as we were when we left.  We walked into the kitchen, where we each grabbed a salad and ate in silence.  By the time we were done eating, I had reran the plan over in my head and I knew it wasn’t going to work.  I needed my training.  The question now was could I risk it?  Could I risk harm to Carson to learn to protect myself to get back to him eventually?  I really had no choice.  Staying for the training was too risky.  If I was going to do this, I needed to do this tonight.

“
Angel?”

I turned to Carson. “Huh?”

“Why won’t you just let me in?”

“What are you talking about?  I have told you all about my past.  I have let you in further than anyone else.”

“Why won’t you let me help you?”

“Carson there isn’t anything to help with.  Please stop making me dwell on memories of my past.  I just want to move forward
to my future.  Please.”

He stared at me for a few moments before he nodded his head and embraced me.  He kissed the top of my head repeatedly.

“I love you.”

“I love you too.” I whispered and I meant it.

We went to bed and made love until neither of us could keep our eyes open.  It wasn’t rushed, it wasn’t hard and fast.  It was just slow, tender and passionate.  This was definitely a memory I will take with me until I can return to him.

Once I was sure he was asleep, I carefully got out of the bed and made my way to the kitchen.  I dialed the one person that would be able to help me.

“Kerry?”

“Colleen?  God do you know what time it is?  I just got in bed.”

“I’m sorry.  They found me…”

As I said it, the memory of the last time they found me came back to me as if I was watching it on television.

Phoenix was extremely hot, but I enjoyed being able to have a reason to stay indoors.  It had only been two weeks since I arrived.  Finally, the last of my furniture arrived.  My townhouse finally looked like a home.  My home.

Night time in Phoenix was my favorite time.  I would sit outside on my deck and read while drinking some iced tea. It was relaxing and the view I had was nothing to shake a stick at
honestly.  It was like my own little oasis.  I deserved this.  After everything I have been through, I deserved my own oasis.

Tonight, I decided to take off and not accept any callers.  I just wanted a moment to sit back and do nothing.  Watching reruns on television and some movies, it was so out of character for me but I
loved it.  Just as I was about to pick up my book and escape to my oasis, my phone started ringing.  When I glanced at the caller ID, I didn’t recognize the number.  Shrugging, I decided to let it ring out. But when the number kept calling, I decided to answer it.

“Hello?”

“Did you think you could run, Colleen?”

“Lenny…” I breathed.

“Did you think I wouldn’t find you?  You owe me money and I plan to collect.”

“It isn’t my debt.  That is
Harriet’s debt.  Why am I being held responsible for a debt that I didn’t rack up?”

“
Because, my dear, your mom said that she would sell me, you in place of her debt.  Now I’m giving you an option to pay her debt or you are mine.  Either way I win.” He sneered.

“How
… How much does she owe?”

“One
Hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars.”

“I don’t have that kind of money, Lenny.”

The Garcia brothers were as bad as they came.  They called themselves well rounded criminals.  They dabbled in a little bit of everything from drugs to guns for hire to prostitution.  There wasn’t much they weren’t known for.  Everyone knew their name and feared them.  It was like in those old westerns when someone mentioned the villain’s name and everyone ran indoors or stopped what they were doing.  That was the way everyone reacted when you talked about Lenny and Benny Garcia.  Those weren’t their real names, but no one knew them.  Many even wondered if they were really even brothers.

Regardless, my
mother was hard up when the man of the hour had left after my dad died.  Well, he hadn’t left, he died.  I killed him for trying to rape me.  That was hard to overcome and try as my mom did to have me thrown in jail for the murder for her ‘soul mate’, the cops believed it was truly self-defense and I was acquitted of all charges. No man would go near my mom after that because of the ‘insane’ daughter.  She turned to the Garcia brothers to make money to pay for all her addictions.  Harriet was a sex addict, so prostitution was nothing for her.  Hell, she was already doing it for free before. Harriet counted this as some kind of bonus.  I hated her.

After a while, Harriet became their best whore and she got cocky and took out more than she could give back.  She died a few months ago and now has left me with the bill.  My gut tells me she’s not really dead, but in hiding.  She just wants out of the debt.  No matter, I wasn’t paying.  I wasn’t responsible and I didn’t have the money.

“You want me to give you special consideration because you don’t have the money.  I gave out the money…the debt will be paid, one way or another.  Do you understand me?”

The line went dead.

This is just like Harriet.  Leave me her fucking mess to clean up and resolve.  She is probably living somewhere happy and free enjoying herself.  Meanwhile, I am being what…threatened, hunted?  Looking around my place that I had just finished putting together, I had to leave.  I gathered my clothes and the things I could fit in my car and I took off.  Leaving in the middle of the night, I left my oasis behind me.

“Colleen?  Are you there?” Kerry’s voice broke into my flashback.

“Sorry, what were you saying?”

“You need to just pay them
Hun.  I will wire you the money.  How much is it again?”

“Can you send me three
hundred thousand?  My house was completely destroyed and I have nothing there.  I can use the remainder to get more belongings.”

“Of course, Colleen.  This is your money.  I wish you’d just take it, but I understand and I will continue to hold on to it.  Your father was like my brother.  You are my family sweetie.  The money should be in your account. 
Remember, he deals in cash only.  Leave all your cards and everything at home or he will take everything else you have.”

“Thank you Uncle Kerry.” I paused. “Uncle Kerry?”

“Yes, sweetie?”

“Did my dad love Harriet?”

“He did, but that was until you were born and she started treating you the way she did.  One day when things are calm, I have a story to tell you.  It’s a long one so maybe I can come visit you to tell you.”

“
Yeah, I’d love to see you again.  I gotta go.  Love you Uncle Kerry and thank you.”