Slut - Woodruff Jettie - Страница 19

I walked over to it to see them both, butts planted on the ground, waiting for their dad. They both stood and ran to him when he walked toward them. Paxton scooped them up, and told them some story about catching a rat and to stay away from there.

“Well, fuck me sideways,” I said out loud to the empty room, and then I remembered I wasn’t alone. A camera in the middle of the room reminded me of that fact. I spun in a circle, swimming in a pool of ridiculousness. Trying to figure out where to put this piece of the puzzle was frustrating to no end. Now what the hell was I supposed to do?

I should have known. Of course the cottage had a camera, but why? “Why all the Goddamn secrets!” I screamed like a crazy person, right up to the little camera. I didn’t care if Paxton would see it. I wanted Paxton to see it. I couldn’t let it go down like this. If I went back into that house I was doomed, I would be his victim just like he wanted, and I would never find Van. I couldn’t let that happen.

Five

My plan was to beat the hell out of the camera, lock all the doors, and threaten to call the police if he came near me. That was the only strategy I could come up with, but somehow, barricading myself inside a tiny house with no food didn’t seem like the way to go.

A groan escaped from my mouth as my eyes glared at the stupid camera. An audible breath slipped between my lips? sputtering them with a feeling of conquest disbelief. My life was destined to eternal hell and no matter what way I turned, it led in that same direction. My guardian angel had a messed up sense of humor. Just when I thought I could see a glow at the end of the tunnel, another obstruction blocked my view and everything went dark. A metaphor for my life.

Next came the woe is me, poor Gabby, I’m doomed, feeling sorry for myself phase. For whatever reason, I knew that feeling wasn’t the best plan either; that behavior would land me right back where I came from. I wasn’t sure I wanted to be there anymore, and furthermore, I had a whole other person depending on me. I couldn’t sink inside myself; that may have worked before, but not now. Not with knowing about Vander. I had to make him my first stop.

With the gush of rejuvenation, I straightened my posture, grabbed the M&M pack with Mi’s number, and walked out the back door with my phone. Of course it rang right away.

“Hey, what’s up?” I said in a cheerful tone as my toes met warm sand, just off the pebbled sidewalk.

“Are you serious right now, Gabriella? Go back inside,” Paxton ordered. I didn’t need to see the look on his face to see the displeasure, I heard it in his tone. I’d seen it many times.

“I can’t. I’ve got to make a few calls that I don’t want you to hear. I’ll be back later.”

“Go the fuck inside.”

“I’ll talk to you later.”

“Gab—”

Once again the nerve thing took over my body, the effects of defying Paxton. At least it was easier to stand my ground through the phone. I didn’t have to worry about his strong hands around my throat that way. I think that helped calm the crackling in my voice.

Again, I answered the ringing phone, this time with a little more attitude. “What, Paxton? You’re not the boss of me.”

He laughed. Paxton laughed, but I wasn’t sure why. “I am the boss of you, little girl. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll turn around and go back inside the cottage.”

“Will you stop with that shit? I’m not your property,” I assured him, arms flailing in the air with my elevated voice.

“You are, baby girl. I bought and paid for you many times over. You think that new car out there was free? You think that swimming pool outside maintains itself? You think your clothes just magically appeared? Get your fucking ass in that house. You don’t want me to come after you.”

The threat pissed me off more than anything. I wasn’t scared at all. That may or may not have been due to the distance between us. I’m guessing it was, but nonetheless, I had brass balls and I was using them.

“Go ahead, Paxton. Come down here and bully me back to the house. See what happens.”

Another laugh, but not the kind that makes you want to laugh, too. This one was rebellious, angry, and downright evil. Enough so that it caused a chill to run down my spine. “Are you threatening me, Gabriella?”

“Didn’t you just threaten me? Look, I have to do something that you’re not going to understand. I’m not coming into that house with you. I will see the girls tomorrow while you work, and then I am coming back to the cottage. I don’t know how things were before, but they can’t be that way now.”

“What the fuck does that even mean, Gabriella? Are you threatening divorce? It will be a cold day in hell before I grant you that wish. You’re a slut, I made you, and I can break you. You will never see the day that you’re not a Pierce. Do you understand me? Hmm? You got that, slut?”

And just like that the anger bled through the phone, soaking me with the same infuriating fury that Paxton showed me. “Like I said before, fuck you. I didn’t marry you. Gabriella Delgardo married you. You’re supposedly the smart one. Prove that one.”

Silence filled the air between us and I knew I had just winded him enough to render him speechless. For a moment anyway. “You want to play that card, Gabriella? You really want to go there?”

“Did you know that identical twins don’t have the same fingerprints? Did you know that Paxton?”

“Why didn’t you tell me? Why all the lies, Gabriella?”

I heard Rowan call for her dad for the second time in the background. “Tell you what? That I had an identical twin? You tell me why I didn’t tell you. I don’t even remember the day I met you, let alone the day I married you. Why Paxton? Why didn’t you know I had a twin?”

“I’ve got to go cut up Rowans steak. Where are you going?”

“Not far. I plan on going back to the cottage, but not your house.”

“You can’t do this, Gabriella. This isn’t the way I played my hand.”

“What? You don’t like me calling your bluff? Show me your hand, Paxton. I’ll show you mine.”

Paxton and I exchanged hidden threats, each reading them loud and clear with the same meaning. “We’ll talk later.”

“I’m sure we will. Give the girls a kiss for me.”

I sort of stopped along the beach, thinking about Paxton and his stupid games. I knew exactly what his plan entailed; me being his submissive and bowing down to his every command. Had it not been for Van, I would have probably done just that for Rowan and Phi. But I couldn’t, not yet, not until I found the answers. I didn’t need Paxton Pierce to help me, I’d find them myself. He could play all the games he wanted to play. I was done. I gave up, forfeiting to my obstinate husband, stomping away with defeated anger.

Frowning at my handwriting on the folded candy wrapper, I tried to decipher the fifth number. It was either a seven, a four, or a nine. I couldn’t really tell, but the third time was the charm. It took two wrong numbers before I heard Mi’s voice.

“Dr. Chin.”

“Mi, it’s me.”

“Oh, my God, Gabby. I’ve been going out of my mind waiting for you to call. I even meditated on it. Hmm, I bet that’s why you called, it worked,” Mi explained, her voice elevating to a happy high.

I shook my head at her adult attention deficit disorder and her crazy culture. “Mi, why? Why did you want me to call?”

“Hey, how are you calling?”

“I’ll explain later. Did you find something?”

“Yes, but I’m not sure you want to hear it.”

Oh, man. That wasn’t what I hoped for at all. “What? Tell me. Did you find the Walkers?”

“Yes and no. I found Mrs. Walker. Mr. Walker died in an automobile accident eight years ago. Mrs. Walker is now Mrs. Phillips.”

I hadn’t even realized I’d stopped walking until I felt the cool water wrap around my ankles. I looked down and continued, going nowhere in a hurry. “Okay, did you talk to her? What did she say?”