Shame (Ruin 3)
“Cold?” a voice said from behind me.
I jumped about a foot.
“Didn’t mean to scare you.” The voice was so smooth… so familiar.
I turned around, ready to offer an apology and a polite smile. I lifted my head, and the smile froze on my face.
“Or maybe…” He leaned in. “…that’s exactly what I meant to do.”
“Taylor.” I couldn’t breathe.
“Miss me?”
CHAPTER FIFTY
It always comes full circle — life. The choices you make, even the ones you don’t make on purpose. They always come back to haunt you. They always come back. —Lisa
Tristan
“SHE’S NOT ANSWERING her phone,” I barked into the receiver while Gabe swore on the other end.
“She could be in class,” he said in a hopeful voice.
Urgent rapping on the door sent a blast of relief through me. It must be Lisa; she could have forgotten her key. I quickly ran to the door and jerked it open.
“Dad?”
“Son…” He shook his head. “I’m so sorry… I’m so sorry.”
He collapsed into a fit of tears, holding on to me like I was his lifeline.
“Dad, what—?”
Then I looked behind him.
Lisa was crying softly.
I reached out to her just as my dad stepped to the side, revealing a very pissed-off looking Taylor. He held a gun to her head, his eyes blazing with fury. I recognized that face; it was the same face in the picture, the same one that looked like it was hanging on by a thread.
In a cold detached voice he said, “Brother, we finally meet. Tell me, did you like the nighttime reading? I always thought it was kind of heavy stuff, but you never know, to each his own, I suppose. Oh, by the way, I hope it’s alright for us to come in.”
He stepped past me and my sobbing father and jerked Lisa toward the living room. She met my gaze briefly and then averted her eyes as she stumbled with Taylor.
I followed them but not before dialing Gabe’s number and leaving the phone on, my only prayer was that he’d still be available, that it wouldn’t go to voicemail — that he’d hear everything.
“Get ahold of yourself,” I snapped to my father, grabbing his arm. “What’s going on?”
“Well, damn!” Taylor shouted from the living room as I dragged my father with me. “This place sure is nice. Did Daddy buy it for you?”
“No!” I barked. “I bought it myself. How kind of you to ask.”
“So…” He released Lisa, throwing her onto the couch, then sat down across from us, scratching his head with the gun. “…tell me everything.”
“Everything?” I repeated, making my way toward Lisa. Her arms were wrapped around her middle as she rocked back and forth.
“No, no.” Taylor laughed. “I don’t think you get to touch her… that might make me angry, and you do not want to see me angry.”
I held my hands up and stepped back, while my dad sat on the couch near Lisa. His face was tortured, pulled tight. Swear, it looked like he was about ready to have a heart attack. Where the hell was his security detail?