The Masquerade (24 page)

I ran back around to the kitchen, remembering the two big cabinets under the sink where they kept the cleaning supplies. I bent down and
threw the double doors open with my spare hand. I tried to pull her away from me, but she clung to my chest.

"Mallie," I whispered quickly, "I need you to let go." I didn't have much time. I pried her fingers off my arms and
pulled her away from my chest. I placed her inside the small space that was still large enough to hide her little body. "I need you to stay in here. Don't come out, understand?"

She was shaking, crying, and choking on her sobs. "This
is like hide and seek only this time you really can't make a sound. Okay?"

She gave a slight nod, tears streaming down her cheeks. She knew what was going on. I put my finger to my lips, nodding to comfort her,
before shutting the two doors. I snapped upright and reached for the largest handle in the wooden block that held the knives. When I pulled out the sharp blade a chill shot down my spine.

"A butcher knife. Really?"

I whirled around to see the same man who I saw standing outside before. He stood by the pantry door in the kitchen, a smirk molding the shape of his mouth. I raised the knife in front of me.

"Get out," I tried to shout, but it sounded like a desperate plea.

"I just got here," he protested. I noted a European accent in his voice, but didn't care to identify it. "Show your
guest some hospitality."

"You weren't invited. My foot will show some hospitality up your ass, though."

He laughed. I took that spare second and made a run for it. I bolted around the kitchen counter with the laundry room as my goal. I knew
Ava kept a baseball bat in there for safekeeping. I barely made it past the kitchen table when I felt his hand grip the shirt off my back and yank me off my feet. The force, so strong, the fabric of my shirt burned my skin, before I
was flung against the wall.

My backside smashed against the wall. I cried out in pain as I flipped over, feeling my hip bruise directly on impact. The man was standing over me before I could pull myself up. He gripped my hair by his hand and
yanked me away from the wall. I grimaced, feeling like the skin was being ripped off my scalp.

Over the noise outside, the stranger's laughter, and my cries I heard the cabinet door squeak open. The pain dissipated as I heard her
tiny footsteps scramble against the hardwood. My heart nearly stopped.

"Mallie, no!"

I kicked my legs out and swung my head forward. The pressure released from my head when he let go of my hair. I sat up to see Mallie's wide,
red eyes. She stood a couple feet away from the stranger. A bleach blonde haired woman appeared behind her with black eyes fixated on Mallie.

"Mallie, run!" I screamed. I lunged for her, but
the monster yanked me back by my hair. I was on top of the kitchen table in the next second. My lower back ached from the to the napkin holder and salt and pepper shakers I smashed on top of. I flipped onto my side to see Mallie
crouching in the corner between two cabinets. The blonde woman stood in front of her with arms out as she reached down to take her.

"No!" I screamed. My voice was cut off by the sound of wood splintering as someone smashed against it. I groaned thinking
there were more of them until I heard his voice.

"Ella!"

"Ben," I cried back.

I was suddenly dragged off the table. The man held me
against him easily despite my struggles for release. I blew the hair out of my face to see Ben standing in front of us. His blue eyes were blazing on the man who held me.

"You've been hiding her," the man mused in a heavy
Irish drawl. "I'd love for Michael to hear about this."

"Let her go or I'll rip your head off," Ben barked at him.

"Bite me," the man shot back. The command wasn't open for negotiation. Ben dashed forward. When I blinked I was on the floor, my
hands flat against the carpet when they caught my fall.

I heard another voice above me, one I recognized. I looked up to see Jesse holding the man in a headlock with the break of his elbow
tightening around the stranger's throat. Ben stood in front of them. His hands were quick and his movements sharp when he snapped his neck to the side. Jesse let go of him and the man fell to the floor. Ben turned and rushed to me, but I
shook my head hearing Mallie's cries from the kitchen.

"Get Mallie!"

He frowned and looked over his shoulder to see the blonde smelling Mallie's hair. Ben was at her side with a kick to her stomach. The
force sent her flying against the refrigerator. He bent down and picked up Mallie, engulfing her in his large arms. To my surprise she clung to him, shaking and crying. He held her tight against his chest and I could have sworn I saw his lips move as he murmured soothing words to her.

My attention moved back to Jesse. The man on the floor was gone and he strode over to the blonde. He pulled her by her feet and yanked her across the floor. When he passed me I heard him mutter, "Fuckin'
newbies." He dragged her through the backdoor and disappeared.

Ben came over to me, got down on his knees, and held Mallie out to me. His eyes never left my face even when my attention was focused on the little girl, sucking in deep breaths between cries and choked sobs.

"Mallie," I said softly feeling my heart break listening to her cries. Ben rubbed small circles on her back as I tried to calm her. "It's okay, sweetie. You're safe. No one is going to hurt you."
I ran my hand through her soft brown hair, continuing my gentle whispers. "You're okay. We're okay."

Mallie lifted her head away from Ben's chest to look at me, her eyes bloodshot from crying. "Why did," she sobbed, "that man
hurt you, Ellie?"

I cupped her tiny face with my hands. "He didn't hurt me, Mallie. I'm okay."

"He made you hit the wall," she huffed. "You
cried." Her bottom lip quivered and I knew she was going to haul more tears. "He hurt you." I met Ben's eyes. I found a mixture of rage and pain coursing in through his expression that he was trying to control while he
held something so fragile in his arms. I took Mallie from him and hugged her tight to my chest.

Ben's hand was on my arm, silently making sure I was okay. I wasn't. My insides wee screaming at me, my back ached, and it took everything I
had to control my own tremors. I wanted to break down and burst into tears, but I held myself together for Mallie's sake.

Eventually, her breathing evened and I was able to bring her to the couch and lay her down. I had Ben retrieve my phone from the floor so I
could call her parents. I explained to them a bunch of kids were harassing us and tried to break in. They were already leaving the restaurant to come home after I hung up the phone. Knowing her mommy and daddy were coming back helped
Mallie calm down.

She stared up at me with wide, glossy eyes. Her face was still covered with red splotches from crying. Ben moved to stand beside me. Mallie's eyebrows knit together. She sat up, staring at the towering stranger
beside me.

"Are you a prince?"

My eyes widened. My head snapped to Ben who merely smiled and bent down to be eye level with her. "Do you think I am?"

Mallie gave a little shrug. "I don't know. That's why I
asked you."

I stifled a laugh, proud that Mallie didn't refrain from using her sassy comebacks. Ben's smile grew. "I'm not a good guy."

Mallie's eyes flashed to me. I watched the smart little
girl's calculating eyes connect the dots. "You are a prince." She said simply. "You're Ellie's." I cleared my throat and looked at Ben to explain, but she beat me to it. "Ella told me she's going to let you
go, but I don't think she should."

"Um okay," I interrupted when I heard the sound of their garage door opening. "Mallie I think you're mommy and daddy are back."

They ignored me.

"Why do you think so?" Ben asked her.

"Ella is just scared because she loves you."

My stomach performed a backflip. "Mallie!" Again,
it was as though I hadn't said anything.

"It's okay," Ben assured her with a soft smile. "I'm not going to let her let me go." He turned and his eyes met mine.

"Good," Mallie said in satisfaction.

I stared at Ben with wide eyes. I couldn't say anything to him, not in front of Mallie. His smile disappeared when he locked eyes with me. He held them for a moment, a daring look in his eyes that told me not to
protest. He looked away when Mallie's parents burst into the room.

"Mallie!" Ava exhaled in relief. She plucked her daughter off the couch and crushed her to her chest. Mallie hugged her back tightly, sniffing softly; the tears were gone for the time being.

Josh spared Ben one glance before he looked at me. He opened his mouth to say something until I saw the recognition flash in his eyes. His eyes snapped back to Ben and they widened. He pointed at Ben, his mouth opened
again and then closed. A rock star was standing in his living room. I didn't blame him for going into shock.

I heard Mallie whispering the details to her mom, but she caught my attention when I heard her mention Ben. "Ella's prince came to
save us and the bad man and woman went away."

Ava looked at the rock star now standing close beside me. She blinked, "You're Ben Sloane."

"Ben Sloane is in my house." I heard Josh mumble
in disbelief.

Ben gave a small acknowledging smile. "Ella called me and asked me to come stay with her until the police got here. I got to your house just when they broke in."

"Do you know who they were? How many were there? Where are the cops?" Josh said, finally breaking out of his state of shock.

Ben and I spent the next couple minutes improvising a quick story. I immediately knew it was my place to keep his secret safe, no matter
what happened. Mallie hadn't seen much, but what we said was enough to comply with her knowledge of the events. We gave a quick story of two loser adults in their early twenties with the intent of terrorizing two young girls home alone.
When the cops, who were never actually called, finally showed after Josh called them. We gave statements and the two county sheriffs left to examine the broken window upstairs.

Thirty minutes passed while Ben and I waited patiently for
the two men to finish their jobs. Ben never left my side, providing the warm comfort that I desperately needed. For the time being, I pushed everything else aside and allowed Ben be my sense of security. I didn't realize how much I
needed him to be with me until he left my side for a second, to sign one of Josh's guitars that he retrieved after he put Mallie to bed.

My hands trembled in his absence and the fear that dug into
the pit of my stomach returned. Ben caught the look on my worn face and was at my side immediately. His lips touched my forehead and his hands ran through my hair until I stopped shaking. The emptiness disappeared when Ben was with me, holding me, taking away the pain.

When the police finally left he promised Ava he would take me home. I didn't protest. I agreed to leave my car at their house until the morning. We were outside. Ben was starting up his motorcycle when Ava leaned over to me.

"I don't remember you telling me that you had a hot rock star boyfriend."

I turned to her feeling my cheeks warm. "It's complicated."

She shrugged, smiling. "What isn't?"

I bit the inside of my cheek. "Ava, no one really knows about us. Not even Shiloh or Hayley."

She chuckled. "I figured as much, baby girl. Hayley couldn't hold a secret like yours if her life depended on it, but I, on the
other hand, will keep my mouth shut."

I nodded and gave a sheepish smile. "Thank you," I murmured. I wrapped my arms around my chest to shield myself from the chill.

"You know, there are a lot of guys out there who are just like your father and Eli." I turned to look at Ava, but her eyes were on Ben. "That boy over there isn't one of them." She must have felt the frown that was radiating off my face. "Don't let your past control
your future." I opened my mouth to say something until I noticed Ben making quick strides to us. Ava's eyes flickered curiously between the two of us, but I pretended not to notice.

"Are you ready?"

I nodded and moved to stand beside him. I smiled at Ava, but she was looking at Ben. "Take care of her."

Ben nodded once, his eyes staring down at me. "Always."

I swallowed and forced myself to turn away from Ava after exchanging goodbyes. Ben followed close beside me until we reached his bike. His eyes met mine when he handed me the helmet. I mumbled a thank you and nothing else was said. He helped me onto the bike and we were speeding down the
road before I knew it.

My arms were locked around Ben's torso, my cheek pressing against the leather of his jacket. I wanted to be closer to him. I wanted to
sit in his lap and disappear in his arms, but I couldn't do that. I forced my mind to stay in the moment until we reached my neighborhood. Ben slowed to a stop by the sidewalk, killed the engine, and hopped off the bike to help me.

We stood in front of each other with only the bike
separating us. He moved around the motorcycle closing the distance between us, his hand brushed through my hair and rested on my cheek. He didn't say anything, his eyes spoke for him. He wanted to be with me, to protect me and
take the pain away.

"Ben," I began, my voice drained. I couldn't begin to tell him the way I felt. I didn't want to be apart from him, but that was exactly what I needed. I had to send him away. Yet, still the thought of his
hands never touching me again was unnerving.

It was wrong. All of it was wrong. He was the predator and I was the prey. There was no world that I could see us together, not even a perfect one.
Since when did you ever care about perfection?
A voice
haunted me from the back of my mind.