Rose of Thorne (25 page)

Trevor

She still looks fucking hot as hell… that niece of mine. Maybe that makes me some sort of damn sick pervert and all, but who gives a flying fuck. I remember how hot she had looked that night lying on her bed. If only she had, fucking cooperated with me I wouldn’t have had to hurt her. But DAMN it felt good to see that glass slice into her skin. It had been some sort of kinky turn on for me. And trust me I am in to some pretty crazy shit.

I
was mad as hell that my bitch of a mom left everything to her and I used my guardianship as an advantage to drain every last penny out of her account before she ever even knew it was gone. I would have left town straight away, but then she had to go and serve me with those damn papers. I knew then that I would take the money and run, but not before taking a little piece of her with me. Unfortunately, I had gotten interrupted, but I have a feeling that we won’t be interrupted twice. Not with the plan I have in store. I will make damn certain of that this time.

I
’ve been watching her for weeks now. I loved seeing the fear in her eyes when she finally recognized me. I can’t wait to see that fear again, when I am fucking her brains out. This time, when I am done and IF I let her live… she will never be desired again by another human being. Glass has a funny way of leaving scars and I plan on leaving my mark on her. Her fucking prick ass boyfriend will never want to have her again once I brand her with my mark… both inside and out.

Skylar

Terrified, that is how I feel every day since the day I saw him. I can’t even walk down the street without having a panic attack. I know he is nearby somewhere watching me, just waiting for his chance. I know he has come back for one thing and one thing only….Revenge. I need to tell Sebastian, but I just can’t. He will never want to be with me again if he knows my dark past. I am embarrassed that my own uncle had done this to me. I had been hoping that somehow Trevor would simply disappear and leave me alone.

Sebastian
is out of town for an important client meeting in New York. He left this morning and for the first time he didn’t beg me to go with him. I guess he had grown tired of me refusing all his other offers. I just always felt like I would be in the way if I went.

I
decide to work from home today to avoid having to leave the penthouse, with all of its security. I love the fact it is one of the safest places for me to be. I have not felt safe since the day Trevor attacked me. There was always the looming feeling of whether or not he would return. Changing the locks is the only security I had at my old house because I couldn’t afford a security system. What I hadn’t thought of is that danger can still come in the form of a phone call.

“Hello?” I answer the penthouse phone.

“Why hello there my dear, sweet niece. How have you been?” his evil tone clips at me. My whole body starts shaking uncontrollably.

“Wha…
what do you want, Trevor? Please, why won’t you just leave me alone?” I desperately plead with him.

“I am actually calling to mak
e a deal with you. You see… because of you, I’ve been on the run now for far too long. You have a very rich boyfriend I hear. I’m sure for a certain price I can be bought out of your life. Say $20,000 and the deed to the house? I want to sell it. It is rightfully mine after all.”

“I don’t have that kind of money, Trevor, and you know it!”

“I’m sure that swanky boyfriend of yours won’t miss a dime.”

“Leave Sebastian out of this!” I fire back at him.

“Oooh... still feisty, aren’t we. MMMMMMmmm… I really did love that about you, Skylar,” he says and I push back the vomit that is now rising in my throat.

”
Well, unless you would like for your sweet lover boy to find out all about us I suggest you meet me this afternoon at the house with the money.”

“But
–”

H
e interrupts me. “2:00 pm, Skylar… and come alone. Oh, and if you don’t come, I may just have to visit my other sweet niece. I hear Boston is lovely this time of year,” he threatens.

H
ow does he know where she is?

“You leave her alone
, you son of a bitch, do you hear me? I’ll meet you and bring you the money, but you leave her alone!” I scream into the phone.

“
2:00 pm Skylar,” he warns again and then hangs up the phone.

I stand there gripping the phone as the line goes dead.
I will meet him; I have no choice. I only have $2,000 in my savings account. Where will I come up with the rest?

Feeling the diamond turquois
e necklace around my neck, I know I have no choice. I will see if this would be enough to buy him out of my life…out of our lives for good.

I nervously eye the clock and reach for my keys.
My phone chimes a familiar ringtone and I debate on answering it. Hesitantly, I slide the screen and speak.

“
How is New York? “ I ask him, trying to keep my voice calm and level.

“Lonely, that’s why I am hoping you will do me a favor.
Pack a bag now and be at the airport by 3:00 pm. I want you here with me, baby. I miss you,” he pleads softly.

I don’t
want him to sense anything is wrong so I agree.

“
Okay, I’ll be there,” I manage.

“Perfect
! I will see you soon! I love you!” he says excitedly.

“I love you more,” I reply and hit end.

Always know that
I love you, Sebastian.

I have
to get to the bank downtown in a hurry if I am going to make it in time. I don’t pay any attention to the clothes I’m throwing into an overnight bag and then I head out of the door. I have to meet Trevor and end this… once and for all.

I just pray he leaves us all alone for good this time.

Sebastian

I want
everything to be absolutely perfect for tonight. The jet is fueled and ready to leave at a moment’s notice and my house crew is already set up for our arrival. I have been carrying that little velvet box for over two weeks now and I have worried and fussed over every last detail. She deserves for this to be spectacular and I intend to make this the most memorable moment of her life.

She thinks I’m in New York, but the truth is I’ve been busy all day with my preparations. I
will be flying her out to my private beach house in Cabo San Lucas. I can’t wait to ask her to be my wife. I will happily marry her right there on the beach if she wants. That’s how much I want her to be mine. I stare down nervously at my watch that reads 3:32 pm.

Where are you
, Skylar?

I have a
lready tried texting her numerous times and every time I call her phone keeps going straight to voicemail. After thirty more minutes, I know something isn’t right. I can feel it! The eeriness of her absence makes me sick at my stomach, so I call the penthouse once more but there is still no answer. I phone downstairs and the doorman tells me that she had left before 2 pm. She has had plenty of time to have gotten to the airport, so where is she? I veer around cars and speed like a madman down the interstate to her house. When I arrive, I am relieved to see her BMW parked in the driveway. I park behind her car and shut off my engine. The blinds are all closed and the side screen door is standing wide open. I immediately know something definitely is wrong. I fly out of my car and run to the side of the old house.

The window of the door is shattered and b
roken glass crunches under my feet as I make my way cautiously inside. Sheer terror ripples through my body and I can feel my heart racing.

Where are
you, baby? Why is there glass everywhere?

My mind tries to logically make sense of the situation.
Perhaps she needed to get inside and had to break the door to get in. Maybe the door is so old it just broke on it’s on. I try to think of any possible explanation, but I know it isn’t anything but bad.

I am just about to call out her name when I hear her muffled cries coming
from deep inside the house. As I cautiously turn the corner, I can see her. Her beautiful face is full of terror and my heart sinks. She is sitting in the middle of the living room tightly tied to one of her old wooden kitchen chairs. Her mouth is duct taped and her clothes are ripped, exposing her bra and stomach.

Blood oo
zes down her face and she is struggling to keep her head up, but it keeps slumping forward. Trevor approaches her slowly and he harshly yanks a hand full of her hair to lift her head back to him.
Murderous rage overtakes me.

I am going to kill
that fucker!

Just as I am about to burst in the
room I see him lift the Glock and point it to her chest. She cries as he kisses her exposed neck and rips at her skirt.

“You are too fucking pretty for your own good, my dear niece.
I am going to take what I’ve wanted to take since I left you that night. When I’m done with you… I think I’ll pay my other niece a visit at college. I’ll be sure to send her your love. What do you say to that?” he taunts her as he forcefully rips the tape away from her swollen mouth.

“YOU LEAVE HER ALONE
YOU FUCKING BASTARD! YOU TOUCH HER AND I’LL KILL YOU! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?” Skylar angrily roars through her pain. She is pulling at her restraints and fighting with everything in her, but he grabs a fistful of her long hair again and slams her head back against the top of the chair. Her face falls and I can tell she is becoming very disoriented.

I inch my way around the room and prepare my attack.

Just hang on
, baby…

“
Oh, really?” he throws his head back and laughs. ”We’ll see, my dear; it will be awfully hard to do anything about it when you’re dead!”

Rage overtakes me and I reach for the large knife in the
open kitchen drawer and slowly approach the living room. He is too wired or high to notice any movements behind him, but the old wooden floor creaks and gives me away. When he turns to face me, I ram the kitchen knife deep into his stomach. He falls backwards and I watch the gun drop from his hand and slide across the floor. Frantically, I make my way to untie her. Her left eye is so swollen that she cannot see out of it and she is going in and out of consciousness.

Oh
, my sweet beautiful girl!

Her body is cut all over with deep gashes and she has lost a lot of blood.
I am beyond terrified as I frantically continue trying to cut her loose.

“Shh
… I’m here, baby, just hang on and I’ll get you out of here,” I try reassuring her as I continue untying her.

Just one last swipe and I will have her free from the ch
air. Her hands are still bound when I feel the sharp blade go into my shoulder. The pain radiates through me and I spin to face him. Ignoring the pain, I launch at him and we both struggle to the cold floor. He desperately stretches his arm for the gun and I manage to knock it away from him. He reaches around and twists the knife that remains in my shoulder and I yell out in pain.

I’ve got to get to her…
I’ve got to get her out of here.

Ad
renaline surges through my body and I slam him back down on to the floor. I begin pounding his head in the floor and he spits blood in my face. I punch him in the stomach where the blood still pours from his wound. He laughs madly in my face as he grabs for a piece of glass on the floor and rams it into my arm. Over and over, I pound into him until he appears to go limp. I struggle getting up and I reach around to pull the knife from my shoulder. Frantically, I reach for the handle and pull. My shoulder feels like it is on fire when I finally free the blade and I can feel my vision start to blur from the pain. I stagger a bit and fall over the couch, but fight my way back up to stand.

I’ve got to get to her.

I immediately spin around to her when I hear her utter out a plea for her life.

“NO…
PLEASE… NO!! Then, I watch helplessly as Trevor rams the large glass shard into her chest. She looks at me in horror and begins gasping for air before she crumbles to the floor.

“NOO
OOOO!!!” I scream. Immediately, I spot the gun on the floor beside me and I snatch it up off the floor. Without hesitation, I aim and fire. One shot, direct to the head and Trevor’s body falls dead on to the floor, but I keep firing shot after shot until I have unloaded the entire clip into his lifeless body.

I make my way frantically to her body on the floor.
Blood now pours from her chest as she writhes in pain.

“BABY…
HOLD ON, BABY… HELP’S COMING… OH GOD… SKYLAR! PLEASE, BABY, OPEN YOUR EYES… I LOVE YOU! … PLEASE… PLEASE DON’T LEAVE ME, SKYLAR!”

I hear the sirens in the drivew
ay and am so grateful that a neighbor must have called them.

“THEY’RE HERE
, BABY… HELP IS HERE! JUST HOLD ON!” I shout as I hold her in my arms.

OH DEAR GOD! THERE IS SO MUCH BLOOD
! PLEASE LORD, I CAN’T LOSE HER!

Her body is so very cold and I try to hold her up against me to warm her. She
closes her eyes and I feel her go completely limp against me. Tears flood my face, but I continue cradling her against my body. When the paramedics enter the house, they have to push me off her and I helplessly wait as they frantically begin working on her. I hear them radio for an airlift and I immediately know that means this is more than bad. I watch in horror as they prepare her for transport. I have never felt more helpless in all of my life.

Within minutes, I hear the additional sirens and the helicopter land in the street.
The neighbors are now all standing in their yards curious as they view them carrying her out of the house. Not wanting to leave her for a second, I follow the stretcher across the yard.

“
I’m sorry, sir, but there isn’t enough room for you to fly with us. You’ll have to let them take you to the hospital in the rig,” the flight nurse explains. I am petrified as the EMT worker pulls me back and the helicopter crew shuts the door.

This can
’t be the last time I see her… it just can’t be
.

I fa
ll helplessly to my knees and watch the pilot lift off the street. I am so fixated on the helicopter in the sky that I barely register that the lady paramedic is shaking me to get me to stand and follow her to one of the waiting ambulances. They must have bandaged my shoulder on the way to the hospital, but I am in so much shock that I hadn’t even noticed. The minute we arrive in the emergency entrance, I bolt from the vehicle and run inside. Of course, no one will give me any information on her since she is in critical care.

Oh, God…
please, tell me she is still alive!

With trembling
hands, I manage to call Kylie and Skylar’s sister Sophie. I have Sara make all the necessary arrangements for getting her sister flown in immediately to the hospital. Kylie arrives shortly after and heads straight to the main desk of the waiting area demanding an update on Skylar’s condition. When she fails to get an update, she screams at the young girl behind the nurse’s station.

Her fa
ce falls when she finally sees me in the room. My shirt is covered and stained in both Skylar’s and my own blood, and my face is cut and bruised from the struggle. I am sure I look terrifying.

Minutes turn into hours and I am
beside myself with worry. I continue harassing the staff and threaten to buy out the fucking hospital if someone didn’t inform me of her condition. Three hours after arriving at the hospital a tall, weary looking doctor makes his way into the waiting room. I practically attack him upon his arrival. He wears a very grave expression on his face as he motions for us to sit.

PLEASE
LORD, LET HER BE ALIVE! I CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT HER!

“Ms. Rose has lost a massive amount of blood. The glass narrowly m
issed any vital organs, but she suffered severe head trauma during the assault. She is now in extremely critical condition and I am very concerned about the amount blood she lost. Her body went into shock upon arrival and her vitals have dropped scarily low. I am afraid I won’t know anything until we see how her body heals. It is very bad, Mr. Thorne, I’m not going to lie to you. I will make sure that my nurses update you on her progress throughout the night.”

“Please may I see
her? PLEASE, doctor, I have to see her!” I beg as I have never begged before in my life. “Mr. Thorne, you can come back with me for just a moment, but I am sorry you can’t stay long,” the doctor warns. I follow him closely as he leads us back to the ICU area.

“I want you to prepare yourself
, Mr. Thorne. We have her hooked up to lots of machines and she is very swollen and pale.”

I nod at the doctor’s words as he leads me in the ICU
unit, but nothing, I mean nothing, could have prepared me for what I see. My beautiful, sweet girl lays there lifeless as a machine breathes for her. I hesitate as I move closer to her. I am shaking all over… I have never been more terrified of anything in my entire life. Her left eye is so swollen that I worry whether or not she will even be able to see out of it again. I reach to move her dried matted curls away from her face and I find myself choking on my sobs.