Hello my lovely readers,
I am sorry I didn't update last week. I liked to watch Chicago PD as I right and its only on two days a week – Tuesdays and Thursday. Plus, this chapter took a little long than usual to write. To be honest I just wasn't feeling it.
I'm going to warn you that the next chapter is going to take some time to write as well. Something big is about to happen and I want to get it just write. So, please don't kill me if I don't get it done by this Thursday or even next Thursday.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Please let me know and please continue to comment and review because like I've said before it helps me a lot.
Thank you,
M.
Chapter 13.
He's Back
A few days later and I still haven't wrapped my mind around what had happened. One thing was for certain I didn't get a chance to talk to Voight about my stalker problem - hell I didn't even get a name for the man who help get me out of my hostage situation; would have liked to have told him thanks. I knew it was only a matter of time until the problem came back. What I didn't know was I was going to be facing my stalker sooner than I would have liked.
I had just finished a twenty-hour shift and was still sleeping in the living room when a sound from the kitchen woke me up. My eyes flew open and a froze in place waiting for another sound to come again from the room. When it did, I got off the couch and slowly made my way to the kitchen doorway; cursing up a storm in my head for letting Jay keep my gun. My heart was trying to leap out of my chest with each step I took. This wasn't what I needed after everything that has been happening to me lately.
It seemed like it took me forever to get to the kitchen doorway, but when I did, I wish I hadn't. Sitting at my kitchen table, eating a bowl cereal and going through my mail, was Clay. I stood frozen, staring at the man who acted like he lived here. My time had run out and I could feel my stomach drop as my blood ran ice cold in my veins.
"Well glad to see your up Pretty Girl," Clay greeted bringing me out of my thoughts.
He didn't even look up from my mail as he gracefully took a bite of his cereal. I had no words to say for what was going on and I couldn't believe this was happening. He was sitting here acting like he owned the place.
"You have a few bills that need to be paid," he muttered. "Might want to get that done."
"How'd you get in here?" I questioned. "The doors were locked."
"I've got a key."
"How?"
"That is none of your business Pretty Girl."
How was it none of my business? I mean this was my home, and he was going through my mail. So, I guess what I'm getting at is how in the world was this nobody's business but his own? This was Clay I was talking about and he was a little off, I shouldn't be surprised really. I did know he was going to be back sooner or later.
As I watched him, I could tell he was upset; just but the way his jaw was clenching and unclenching when he wasn't eating his cereal. His body language said a lot to; he was sitting too straight to be comfortable and his hands were where I could see them. The expression on his face made me nervous. It was calm… too calm for my liking. His eyes were on me, waiting to see what I would do or say.
"Well," he said, finally breaking the silence, "aren't you going to say something?"
"I don't know what to say," I confessed.
"Good. That's the way I like you. Your smart mouth gets in the way and you know what happens when it does."
He stood up from the table and started to walk toward me. I wanted to head for the front door but instead I stood my ground. I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of showing him how terrified I was of him. If I did, it would mean he had more power over me, and I didn't want that if I was going to get out of this situation.
Once he was just a couple feet away from me, he stopped and stared down at me. His eyes were like dark pits that threatened to consume me. It was like he had no emotions whatsoever. He was the perfect sociopath and what made him so deadly was he could blend in with a crowd and no one would even know what he was. Even if I did go to someone he could easy play it off as me wanting to get with him and going crazy when he turned me down. If this man wanted to be, he could be the perfect serial killer.
"Are you going to tell me what happened to your neck?" Clay asked.
I had completely forgot about the bruise on my neck from Ernico. Of course, what happened wasn't my fault, how could it have been. If I would have known what was going to happen I would have stayed home. Yea, I would have left Kim high and dry but at least I would have been safe. Now, considering I can't see the future and didn't know what was going to happen it wasn't my fault. By the cold look in the eyes of the man in front of me, he wasn't going to see it that way.
"You don't have to answer that one," he stated, "because I already know."
'Of course, you do,' I thought.
"What I'd like to know is, how you could get yourself into that situation in the first place. I could have sworn I told you to be more careful."
If I remember correctly, I don't think he did. All he told me to do was lock my doors, but there was no use in telling him that. I would have been talking out of turn and just like my father, Clay would be more than happy to hit me. Something I didn't want to happen right now; my neck was still sore from the bruise.
I tried to put myself anywhere but where I was. Sadly, that didn't last very long, because the next thing I know my stalker grabs both of my wrists as he pushes me backwards. The wind was knocked out of me when I collided with the wall. As I gasped for air I could feel Clay holding my wrists in a death grip on either side of my head. No doubt there would be bruises there too; just what I needed.
Still gasping for breath, I had my eyes closed tightly. I could feel his body leaning close to mine and I wanted to be anywhere but here. Feeling his breath against my cheek, I did my best to not cringe away.
"Are you paying attention to what I'm saying?" he growled.
I nodded my head, not able to find my voice. To keep quiet, I bit my bottom lip to the point where it hurt. I really didn't care though. My wrists were in more pain then my lip.
"I said," he screamed, "are you paying attention to what I'm saying?"
"Yes," I choked.
"Yes what?"
"I'm paying attention to what you're saying."
"You don't seem like it."
There was nothing I could say so I stayed quiet. I found it was better to stay silent instead of saying the wrong thing and making things worse. When I opened my eyes, I made sure to stare at the floor; I didn't want to look at him.
"Even if you weren't listening then," he muttered in a low voice, "you better be listening now. Do not get yourself into another bad situation like that again, you won't like the consequences. Do you understand me?"
"Yes," I whispered without hesitation.
"Good. Now if you'll excuse me, my shift starts in a half hour."
He turned his head to the side, kissed my cheek letting his lips lingered. I stiffened and waited for him to stop, I didn't want him anywhere near me. It felt like forever, but he finally pulled away. He let go of my wrists and took a step back; he didn't stop staring at me. Slowly I brought my arms down to my side, but other than that I stayed as still as possible.
"I will be checking in soon," Clay stated. "Behave, and we can stop having meetings like this. I'm pretty sure I don't have to tell you not to say anything to anybody. Not your friends, or your brother, or any one on his team and that also includes your brother's boss. I will kill them, and you'll have to live with the guilt for the rest of your life."
I made my body as relaxed as possible when he mentioned Hank, not giving anything away. It was like he knew I was close to telling Voight. All I could do now was stay as still as possible, so my stalker would go away.
"Stay out of trouble," he warned. "We'll talk soon."
He took a second more to look at me, before he turned for the door. I stood where I was as I waited for him to close the door behind him. Soon after I slowly sank to the floor, and I started to shake. I didn't realize I was crying until a sob escaped from my throat. Putting my hands to my face, I noticed my face was wet from the tears. As I sat there and cried, I couldn't help but wonder what I had done for this to happen to me.
~J&M~
I don't know how long I sat there crying; it seemed like hours. Even after I was cried out, I sat on the floor, with my knees pulled up to my chest, feeling numb and cold. I didn't want to move from where I was because I was afraid Clay would come back because he forgot to give me a black eye or something. Or maybe it was because I didn't feel like moving.
About an hour or two after my stalker had left, I heard a knock at my door. I got up on shaky legs and slowly made my way to the door. Looking through the peephole and let out a sigh of relief; standing on the other side of the door was Jay. Even though I was glad it was him I wished he hadn't showed up. I hadn't looked in the mirror at all today, but I was sure my hair was a mess because I hadn't brushed it this morning, plus my face and eyes were red from crying. Either way, I had a feeling he wasn't going to go away so I decided it was best to answer the door. Letting out a sigh, I whipped at my face, and ran my fingers through my poofy, curly hair a few times. When I was sure I looked semi-presentable, I put a small smile on my face and opened the door.
"Hey," Jay greeted.
He had a smile on his face, showing his perfect white teeth. This was the smile that always seemed to make me melt and I could feel mine getting a little bigger. I still don't understand why he had this effect on me, but I had to admit I kind of enjoyed it. The normal sexy 5 o'clock shadow that was just a little past 5 o'clock was still present on his face. I could secretly look at him all day and not feel sorry about it, even though I probably should.
"Hi," I breathed, my voice cracking a bit.
The smile fell from his as he took in the site of me. I must have looked a lot worse than I thought. Biting my lip, I watched as his blue eyes darkened a little. There were a few emotions shining in them, and I could only pinpoint; rage and worry. The rest were a mystery to me and I wasn't sure if I wanted to figure them out.
"Are you okay?" he asked, his expression set in anger.
He took a hurried step forward and lifted up his right hand. At that moment I saw Clay in front of me, not Jay. I took a step back, turning my head away from his fingers and he stopped. My heart was racing, my breaths were shallow, and I could feel the panic set back in. Once he saw how scared I was, his expression softened and he held up his hands.
"It's me, Grace," he whispered. "You know I would never hurt you."
I knew he was right, and I kept telling myself this. Soon I could feel the panic ebb away, as my heart rate slowed down, and my breathing returned to normal. Without saying a word, I stepped back from the door. Jay took the hint, walking inside and I closed the door locking it behind us. He waited for me to lead the way down the hall and to the living room. I took a seat in the recliner, before gesturing him to sit on the couch. It didn't even bother me that my pillow and light blanket spread out on it. Neither did he evidently, because he just sat down.
We sat in silence for a while, I didn't look at him but he watched every move I made. Feeling uncomfortable I moved some hair from my face. I heard him take a deep breath in and I looked up at him from the corner of my eye. His eyes were full of anger again as he stared at my wrist.
"Who did that you?" he asked calmly, glancing at the other one.
"It was from the other day," I lied, meeting his eyes.
"I'm sorry Grace, but I don't believe that."
"What did I tell you about calling me that?"
My voice was a whisper, but I wasn't mad at him for calling me Grace. To be honest, I was kind of gotten used to it by now and it was kind of soothing. I really just wanted to change the subject. He didn't need to know what had happened a few hours before he got here. I had to do what Clay said or who knows what he would do. I had a feeling he'd stand by his threat about harming anyone I told.
"Don't change the subject," Jay muttered. "Answer my question please. Who did that to you?"
"I answered your question," I said. "It happened the other day with Enrico."
"Why are you lying to me? You know you can tell me anything."
"I'm not lying. What are you doing here Jay?"
"I came to return your gun, but I end up walking in on you after you've been crying. I know someone hurt you."
"No one hurt me."
"Damn if they didn't. You were crying over something Grace, and you have bruises on your wrists. You couldn't have done that to yourself. Don't tell me it was from the other day because I know for a fact Enrico didn't grab you like that. That's why you have the bruise on your neck. Now are you going to tell me what really happened or am I going to have to call Adam."
I didn't say anything, just shrugged my shoulders and looked away. He could call Adam if he wanted to; my brother wasn't going to believe me anyway. So, in the long run it didn't matter if my sibling was called or not.
"I guess I'm calling him," Jay stated.
He watched me, while he pulled his phone out, to see if I would change my mind. When I didn't, he glanced down at his cell for a few seconds to press my brothers number. I still didn't say anything as he put the phone up to his ear. This was really unnecessary; I really didn't see a point in calling my brother. There was just going to be a big fight and I didn't want to get into it right now.
Adam answered on the fourth ring and Jay told him to get over to the apartment. Of course, my brother had a big fit that his coworker was even here with his sister. I rolled my eyes as I heard him scream through the phone. The blue eyed detective didn't seem bothered by Adam's outburst; just told him to get down here now, that it was important, and hung up. I wasn't sure if my brother would show up or not. Considering Jay was here a lone with me I there was a good chance he would.
~J&M~
Jay and I were quiet the whole time we waited for my brother. The man in the room with me stood in front of me with his arms crossed over her chest, still watching my every move. He didn't try to talk to me; he probably understood I wasn't going to say anything. There was nothing to say really. If I did say something, someone I loved or cared about would more than likely end up dead.
Surprisingly my brother made it to the apartment within the hour. When he got here, he slammed the door behind him and charged into the living room. His eyes were full of rage as they zoned in on Jay and he made a beeline for the blue-eyed man. I didn't know how this was going to pan out, but I knew if it came down to it Jay would probably end up kicking my brother's ass. Not that I would mind; there were times Adam needed to get pushed off his high horse.
"What the hell are you doing here?" my brother growled. "I thought I told you to stay away from her."
"Why don't you take a look at your sister for once," Jay advised, "instead of focusing on me."
Adam looked taken aback by his coworker's statement but reluctantly turned his attention me. By the expression on his face, I must have still been rough looking. If I would have been thinking I would have gone to my room and gotten a long sleeve shirt. Yea, it was still hot, but at least my wrists would have been covered.
"What happened Roe?" my brother asked.
It sounded like he was trying to keep his temper under control. I gazed at Adam with a blank expression; I didn't want to give anything away. If I made it seem like there was nothing wrong maybe he would just go away. I didn't want him or Jay to be around… I wanted to be alone. No, I needed to be alone.
"Nothing," I lied, not hesitating to answer.
"It sure as hell ain't nothing," Adam sighed, shaking his head. "You've been crying, and your wrists are bruised. So, something must have happened."
"The crying was from female problems, and the bruised wrists are from the other day, when Enrico grabbed me."
"I don't believe that."
"You see," Jay jumped in, "that's what I said."
"Now, if I don't believe you and he don't believe you there has to be something wrong."
"There is nothing wrong," I muttered. "It's not my fault you never believe me anymore."
Adam ran both hands through his hair, frustrated. Jay turned his attention to my brother with one of his eyebrows raised; he didn't understand what I was talking about, but he stayed quiet. I made sure to divide my attention between the two men. I know they would never hurt me but considering what happened a few hours ago I was still a little jumpy.
"This has nothing to do with it," my brother finally said.
"It has everything to do with it," I told him. "It's not my fault if I told you what happened you wouldn't believe me anyway."
That last part I didn't mean to say out loud. The two men's eyes were wide when they let the words sink in. So, they now they knew I was lying about what happened. Oh well, even if they did know, that didn't mean I was going to tell them what actually happened.
"So, you admit that something else did happen?" Adam stated.
"No," I mumbled.
"You know you can tell us what happened," Jay chimed in. "You don't have to do this alone. We can help."
For some reason I could feel my blood start to boil in my veins. Now they think they can help me? The last time I needed help with something my brother told me I was lying, and Jay just stopped talking to me. How do I know this wouldn't end the same way? I definitely wasn't going to take any chances. The only way I could see them leaving me alone was if I blow up on them, and that's exactly what I was going to do.
I let the blood keep boiling as my blank expression turned into a glare. Jay had only seen me mad once, so he didn't see any danger, but my brother had seen me livid more than once in our lives and he knew what was about to happen. He put his hands up in the air and took a step back.
"Now Roe," he muttered, "just stay calm."
"Stay calm," I exclaimed, standing up out of my seat. "You want me to stay calm? Explain to me Adam why I should stay calm? The last time I tried to tell you something that scared me, you told me you didn't believe me. And you!"
I turned my wrath on Jay. His eyes were wide again, and he copied my brother; putting his hands up in the air and taking a step back. He remembered what I was capable of when I was like this.
"I needed a friend," I confessed to him, "and what do you do? The first chance my brother gets at telling you to stay away from me, you take it. How did you think that was going to make me feel? Yea, we just hung out once, but I actually enjoyed the time we spent together. Then you leave, with no word why and that hurt Jay. That really hurt. So, don't you dare come around here and tell me you can help, because that ship sailed when you decided to leave me high and dry."
The expression on the blue-eyed detectives face told me he felt bad, but he already knew the damage was done. They were both quiet as they stared at me. The way the two of them looked at me made me even angrier. They had no right to hurt me and then try to help. It just wasn't how I did things.
"You know what?" I muttered, breaking the silence. "You two need to leave."
"Hey now," Adam said, taking a step forward, "I live here."
"I know you live here. But if you think about it you don't because you stay with Wendy more than you stay here. So, you may have your mail sent here, and you may pay rent here, but you don't live here.
"Roe, come on. I'm your big–"
"No Adam, you don't get to play the big brother card, and you don't get to play the knight in shining armor. I'm not play those game anymore."
"Grace please–" Jay sighed, giving it a try.
"I said leave! Now!"
Adam and Jay hesitated for a few seconds before they slowly made their way to the front door. I followed them, so I could lock the door behind them. Once they were through the doorway the two of them turned around with their mouths open. I didn't even want to hear it anymore; I slammed the door in their faces.
It was about a minute before the tears started to fall again. I turned around and put my back against the wall and slowly started sliding to the ground. I pulled my knees up to my chest and laid my arms across them, so I had a place to rest my head. Why did all of this have to happen to me? I always kept my head down and stayed out of trouble the best I could. I thought I was doing well but I guess I was wrong. Now I really had to think about what I had to do to get away from Clay. If I didn't something bad was going to happen and it would be all my fault.