Author's Note: WHAT?!
None of you read my A/Ns anyway. Just pretend I said something witty and then snort with laughter, okay?
Oh, I just had to share that this chapter flowed like the icky river of vomit after a bad case of food poisoning. Now get THAT mental image out of your head! *kicks all the people who read the last chapter but did not review* *vomits on you* *chunky vomits in your mouth* *evil laughter*
A Woman's Worth: Chapter TWENTY THREE
(Damon's POV)
"No, Elijah, for the hundredth time, NO!"
There I stood, with my arms crossed in front of the kitchen sink, glaring daggers at the harassed-looking detective. For the third consecutive day, we were in the midst of yet another disagreement about his insane request that I felt was out of line.
"Whoa, first date flashback," came Ric's voice from behind us, leisurely walking over to join in on our heated discussion. "That reminded me of what I said to Elijah when we first hung out, remember? Did he ask you to put your hand down his pants, too? Tsk tsk tsk."
Ric's joke earned him two eye-rolls and an exasperated sigh from me. "Ric, Elijah's doing it again!" I complained loudly, releasing an angry huff as I sank down onto a barstool.
"Oh, so now you've resorted to telling on me?" Elijah exclaimed in disbelief, running his fingers over his perfect hair in frustration. I watched jealously as the strands fell back into place as neat as before he messed them up. Clearly, he had magical hair.
"Settle down now, children," Ric said calmly, plonking his ass down on the stool next to mine. "Tell Papa Ricky what's this lover's tiff about and then we'll fix it, okay? Is this about Lockwood again?"
I released a snort, proving that it was in fact about that douchbag. "Well, he's asking El-"
"Why does he get to go first?" Elijah demanded, sticking his thumb in my direction before turning to address the sandy-haired man who was chuckling and clearly enjoying himself. "I just don't understand why he won't allow me to ask Elena to go see that bastard to help with Anna's case! For the past two days, I've been asking – no, begging – to see if Elena's willing to go talk to Lockwood for us. I mean, this is a missing little girl we're talking about, and we have no other leads at the moment."
As guilt-ridden as I was for Anna's continued disappearance, I could understand that Elijah was only trying to do what he can for the case to move forward, but it didn't have to involve Elena. "And since when do criminals get to call the shots? Just because Rapewood refused to talk unless it's with Elena, suddenly we all have to cater to his every whim and fancy, is that it?" I asked sarcastically, hating the idea of Elena being anywhere near that piece of filth. "If you have to use a civilian to solve your cases for you, then I really have to question how good the police are at their jobs in this town."
"This is not about how efficient we are, but about how Elena can actively contribute to this investigation," the detective said through gritted teeth. "Anna's been missing for almost a week, Damon! Your other charge is probably scared shitless, crying or she might even be dead! All we know is that Lockwood had been over to visit Alan once in prison, and that's fairly recent, too. Despite our interrogations, he has refused to tell us anything, other than he'll only talk to Elena. We've hit a major wall and with very little else to go on. She might just be the only who can get him to spill," he finished in a pleading tone.
I felt for the guy, I did. He seemed to be at the end of his rope, barely getting any sleep as it was. But, there were other ways to get the bastard to talk. A more painful way.
"And what do you suppose he'll say to her, huh? Do you think he'll magically confess to everything upon seeing her?" I asked incredulously, shaking my head at the same time. "No, he won't. The second she enters that room, he's going to bully her into retracting her statement with some vague threat about Anna. Come on, Elijah, you know as well as I do that that's what a desperate man in his situation would do. If you want the guy to talk, you twist his arms a little. You insert some splinters under his nails or torture the truth out of him, but you leave my girlfriend out of it!"
Elijah was about to open his mouth to argue but then 'Papa Ricky' held out a hand and cut in. "Okay, before you boys pull at each other's hair or break a nail, I'm just going to step in and give my two-cents, okay?" he asked, his eyes shifting to and fro between us. We both nodded and waited while he stood up, looking all important-like.
"I get where you're coming from, Elijah, really I do. But I'm going to have to agree with Damon in this case," he began, causing me to glance over to the silent Elijah with an 'I-told-you-so' look. "If this was any other situation, then I would say that sometimes, yeah, you might need to involve a civilian to assist in a case. But this isn't one of those times because it's Elena and the bastard was her ex who abused and raped her. No matter how you look at it, it's not right to ask her to see the man who caused her so much pain, not until it's absolutely necessary, like in court when she's trying to put his ass in jail for a very long time."
At the other man's crestfallen expression, I reeled in my smugness at having Ric agree with me and flashed him a sympathetic look. "Look, Elijah, I know that you're doing all you can to find Anna, but I'm sure you guys can find some other way to find out more about Lockwood's relationship with Anna's father. Have you forgotten how traumatized Elena was when she first came to live with me? What do you think is going to happen when she sees him again and have all those fears and nightmares coming back to haunt her? I'm just trying to protect her, that's all."
"I know, and I get it. I'm just…working my butt off and I still have nothing to show for it," he finally conceded after a lengthy pause. He seemed so disheartened, so at a loss that I wished that I could help somehow. I wouldn't mind volunteering for a shot at torturing Rapewood if it came down to it.
This time, it was Ric who spoke up, ever the peacemaker among the three of us. "Well, at least one criminal's locked up, right? How's that going by the way?" he wondered, referring to the rapist.
"We brought him to court before a judge and as expected, he was denied bail. But I heard that his family is going to appeal seeing as he is a Lockwood, and therefore, a 'highly esteemed member of society'," Elijah quoted, shaking his head at the ridiculous notion. "It's not likely, so I wouldn't be worried."
I frowned at that, not particularly comforted by his choice of words. "Not likely isn't the same as impossible, Elijah. Can it be appealed or not?"
"Well, technically, it can, but very rarely does it happen. I mean, unless you're a well-known public figure or-"
A door slammed in the distance and then the sound of high heels and girlish chatter could be heard from the front of the house, effectively halting our serious discussion. I heaved a sigh of relief upon knowing that the girls were back, safe and sound.
It took a lot of cajoling and pleading looks from Elena before I would agree to a shopping session at the mall. Elena's argument was that her ex was in police custody and therefore she wasn't in any danger, which really didn't do much to convince me, but I was swayed by her obvious eagerness to have something to do to de-stress herself.
Okay, not really. I was tricked into agreeing when she distracted me with her lips and hands. For a girl who had determined the extent of how far we'd go in terms of our physical relationship, she seemed to be the one who had the most trouble keeping within the line. As tempted as I was to do more than merely kissing in the 'safe zone', I had been the one who had to reign in the passionate brunette who apparently had no such respect for my barely-there restraint.
It had been during one of our more risqué make-out sessions last night, with my shirt on the floor and her writhing delectably on top of me that she made her request, all the while raining kisses down the length of my chest. I couldn't be certain, but my guess is that I had agreed to her going out with Caroline sometime between her running her tongue around my flat nipple and dipping into my belly button. Fortunately, I still had the sense to stop any further exploring, resulting in me taking a midnight shower again before returning to her bed.
That woman will be the death of me!
"Hi guys," the naughty girl in question greeted as she practically skipped into the kitchen with a small paper bag, a broad grin on her glowing face. A step behind her was Blondie with a similar grin, looking windswept and energetic as she pranced in like she owned the place.
As usual, whenever Elena entered a room, I automatically oriented myself towards her. Apparently she felt the same way because she immediately made her way over to my side, throwing an arm around my waist before leaning in to brush her lips against my cheek. I almost rolled my eyes at how tame that peck was compared to the one she planted on me last night, being all vixen-y and seductive.
The lady certainly knew how to behave out in public, but I knew better.
"Hey, babe," I whispered in her ear, noting with satisfaction at her gleeful expression. "So did you have a good time?"
She nodded vehemently and then exchanged a secretive smile with her blonde bestie, who then giggled out loud. "Yes, we all had a very productive day, in more ways than one," she replied cryptically.
"Speaking of which, where's the protection detail we sent to go with you?" Ric piped in, leaning to the side to see if he could spot the guy who was supposed to keep the girls safe.
"Right…whoa…here," a disembodied voice said, and then we saw a pile of paper bags floating over towards us rather clumsily. "Care, where do you want me to put all these?"
A sheepish Caroline hurried over to the two-legged pile and started removing some bags carefully, setting them down on the floor in a disorganized mess until the owner of the voice was visible once more.
"I'm not so much of a 'protection detail' as a shopping bags holder," my baby bro laughed good-naturedly, appearing not to mind in the slightest tagging along with the girls.
If it seemed completely unbelievable for us to send Stefan as a bodyguard, it's because he wasn't. Elijah and I both agreed to have him out of the house when we planned to have our discussion about Lockwood's request as we knew that my brother would most likely spill his guts to Blondie, who in turn would reveal everything to her best friend. So, we concocted an excuse to be rid of Stefan for a couple of hours, arming him with pepper spray as his only protective weapon.
In case of trouble, I knew that Elena would protect him. My badass girlfriend was amazing that way.
"Holy crap! Did you girls empty out the mall?" Elijah exclaimed, his eyes trained on all the colorful bags that now littered my kitchen floor. "How much can two tiny girls buy in a matter of hours anyway?"
"Well I just bought one small little thing, because I don't have money growing out from my ears, but the rest is Care's. She has this magical rectangular card that she shops with. She named him Visa," Elena quipped with a little chuckle.
My girl, so darn funny.
Unable to help myself, my arms circled her waist as I pressed my lips against the side of her head, feeling at peace finally at having her back by my side. "So what's in that bag you're carrying? Can I see?"
"Nope," she answered quickly, hiding the item behind her back and out of my reach, my curiosity peaking. "It's just some girly stuff, that's all. You wouldn't be interested."
I glanced over at my brother and upon catching his eyes, I lifted an eyebrow as an unspoken question since he had been with them the whole time, but he just shrugged and continued to worship Blondie with his eyes. Never thought there'd be someone even sappier than me.
"Yeah, Damon. Don't be nosy," Care scolded with a wicked gleam in her eyes. "I'm sure crotchless panties and see-through thongs aren't your cup of tea, are they? Come on, E, let's go and try them all on and have pillow fights," she suggested with a triumphant smile and proceeded to drag my sputtering girlfriend out of my grasp to head upstairs.
The four of us remaining in the kitchen stiffened at the imagery provided by the mischievous blonde, but none of us actually believed her. Not until Elijah started following after them in a trance-like motion, a dreamy look on his normally serious face.
"What the hell, man?" I croaked out, my throat tight as I reached out to stop him.
He blinked rapidly, looking back at us nervously. "What? She said 'Let's go, E'. I thought she meant E for Elijah." With that, his face broke into a wide grin, flashing his teeth at me. "Maybe it's time I go back to the station and do some actual work, huh?"
Stefan and I both gave a synchronized nod of agreement. "You do that," he called out to the chuckling detective.
As soon as Elijah shuffled his way out of the house, we turned back around to see Ric still sitting motionless on the stool, except that he had his eyes closed and his face was scrunched up in concentration.
"You're thinking about the two girls upstairs, aren't you?" I confronted him, knowing full well what his answer would be. I was wrong.
"Three," he corrected promptly, his eyes still closed; only his face was split into a grin. "Mer just joined in with her doctor's coat on. Oh wait, now it's off. Stef, is Caroline always that ticklish?"
It was obvious what the Salvatore brothers had to do at that point. Wordlessly, we flanked the pervert from both sides of him and yelled at the same time. "Get out!"
I watched, amused despite my condemnation of his dirty mindedness, as he jumped at the loud sound, and then held up his hands in surrender. "Well, it's not like I'm imagining myself in there with them! Oh shit, too late now," he chuckled to himself and then objected when Stef and I lifted him bodily by his armpits, half –carrying and half-dragging his ass out the front door.
"Jeez, I was kidding! I was kidding! You Salvatore boys sure are no fun when you're in love. Lighten up, guys," he complained loudly. As soon as he was past the threshold, we released his arms and felt some satisfaction at the shock in his expression when we slammed the door shut in his face.
Panting from the exertion, I reached out my hand and shook Stefan's, congratulating each other on our teamwork. But something that Ric had jokingly said stuck to me.
"Hey, so what's the deal with you and Care? Are you guys dating for real or just friends with benefits?" I asked, because apparently, I cared about Care. See how that worked out? "Because if it's just fun and games between you two, I hope you'll reevaluate things. I love her as a friend and you as my brother. It would suck if either of you get hurt, you know?"
That was the first time I've ever come close to declaring my love for my brother, and it came out so naturally that it even took me by surprise.
He hesitated for some time, and I actually thought that he might not even respond, but then he said softly, "I went shopping with them, willingly held their handbags while they went to the ladies' room, ate non-fat frozen yogurt with them and then waited outside the shops like a dutiful boyfriend and lugged all Care's shopping bags home and didn't complain about it. What do you think?"
"Atta boy, Steffie," I patted his back in approval, feeling at ease with the whole situation now. At first, I found it odd that he would first expressed interest in Elena to find out that he was sexing it up with Blondie all of a sudden. It even crossed my mind that my new gal pal had been his rebound girl for a spell, but seeing the love struck expression in his eyes was comforting.
For the first time in a long while, the Salvatore brothers were happy.
"Elena? You awake?" I whispered in the dark to the dark-haired beauty in my arms.
Once again, I found myself marveling at the fact that I was on Elena's bed. At this point, it was no longer just her bed, but mine, Pig's and the stuffed bear. Since I had practically moved into her room for the exception of my clothes, I had all my bare necessities in there with me; like my favorite pillow, my toothbrush, shaving kit, and my trusty pistol that was now kept in her side drawer. It occurred to me that the four of us would have been much more comfortable in the huge four post bed in my room, but it didn't seem to be the right time yet.
Besides, this room had become her safe haven, the place where she'd healed, one step at a time. It was where she had almost died from accidental overdose, but it was also where she was brought back to life. It was where we had exchanged our first 'I-love-you's, shared our first kiss, and bared our hearts to each other.
In fact, the very bed we were laying on had been the place where we were the most honest with each other and it was in that spirit of honesty that made me decide to interrupt our otherwise peaceful night.
"Hmm?" came her sleepy response.
"I need to make a confession."
Silence greeted my announcement, making me think that she had fallen back to sleep but then she kicked the covers off as she spun around to face me, our faces less than an inch apart. It would be oh-so-easy to simply tilt my head a little lower, and then all thoughts of honesty would have been the furthest thing from my mind.
But then she raised her eyes to meet mine in the dimmed night, and I could see so much uncertainty in them that it rendered me speechless. "Tell me," she whispered shakily, inhaling deeply as if steeling herself for what I had to say.
"I love you. Never doubt that," I declared sincerely as a start, willing her to believe me.
"And I love you," she replied calmly, her lips curving upwards. "Was that the big confession?"
I shook my head, smiling sadly because I knew that she was nervous about what I had to say. "Mason has been asking to see you," I said without any further hesitation. Her brown eyes were wide as orbs as she stared back at me in shock. "The police have been interrogating him about his connection to Anna's father but the bastard refused to cooperate except to demand to meet with you. I just-I thought that you should know."
"But-but why? What does he want?"
"We don't know. For all we know, he could be using your concern for Anna as a way to threaten you into changing your statement or drop the case altogether. Chances are, he heard about her disappearance and decided to milk it for all it's worth. It's a desperate move from a desperate man," I told her, seeing the confusion and fear in her eyes.
"But he's visited that Alan guy, right?" she asked slowly, her mind working overtime to put the pieces together. "Maybe he really knows him. What if he knows where Anna is? Shouldn't we try to talk to him and see if he'll tell us?"
Shaking my head in response, I ran my hand up and down her arm, offering some comfort in preparation for the thoughts swirling in my mind. "Elena, you know Mason better than I do. Even if he knows something, do you really think that he'll help us find Anna if he doesn't get something in return? The guy's behind bars and facing major time for multiple offences. Don't expect him to give up any info he may or may not have without him asking for a huge favor in return, like his freedom."
"So you're saying that if it really comes down to it, I might have to choose between Anna's safety or Mason's jail time?" she summarized in horror.
Yes, that was precisely the choice we all had to face, as Elena so aptly put it. If it really came down to those options, I really couldn't decide which one I'd choose. Of course little Anna's safety was of the utmost importance, but if Mason were to be released, there is no telling how many other women he'd end up hurting, not to mention Elena constantly looking over her shoulder for the rest of her life.
It was an impossible choice.
"Okay, we have to remember that we don't know anything for sure right now. We don't know if he's even involved in the kidnapping. Ric and I think that it's better to leave Anna's investigation to the police, while we focus on getting that scum of the earth Mason off the streets. Anyway, I'm sure we don't need to make that choice right this minute," I assured her with a certainty that I did not feel.
She heaved a shaky sigh and then rested her head on my chest, her fingers squeezing mine in a tight grip. "For a moment there I thought you were going to tell me that you're leaving or something," she laughed a little nervously.
Pain gripped my chest, stunned that she would ever think that. I tilted her head up, gazing intently at her. "Now you're just being silly. I would never leave you, you know that," I told her.
"Pinky swear?"
This time, there was no hesitation when I lowered my lips to meet hers as a silent vow that she had nothing to worry about. It would take nothing short of a miracle to make me leave her, ever. Taking a deep breath, I deepened the kiss just as she was starting to respond, her body sliding higher up as I buried my fingers into her hair, holding her face at an angle while I poured every bit of my soul into this kiss.
For now, she was safe, she was mine and I wasn't about to let her go.
My eyes opened in shock upon feeling the vibration of my phone under my pillow, the motion creating a deep buzz against my head. I reached under and snatched it up quickly with my right hand, fearing that the muffled sound could wake the sleeping beauty wrapped in my other arm. A quick glance at the clock beside me proved that it was still too early for a friendly call, so whoever it was, it must have been important.
I slid my thumb against the screen, noting that it was from an unfamiliar local number. "Hello?" I mumbled in a hushed tone, slowly extracting myself from under the covers while at the same time, gently flipping Elena over to the other side of the bed, her head turned away as her messy hair tumbled over her face.
"Damon, it's me, Pearl," a woman's voice said in a panicky voice.
"Pearl? Sorry, hang on for a minute," I replied back as I removed my other arm from under my unconscious brunette, studying her prone body as I tucked the blankets over her shoulder again. I brushed her hair away from her peaceful face before leaning back down to press my lips against her cheek, amused when she flinched at the scruff around my chin that was tickling her skin.
I padded barefoot over to the cold bathroom, closing the door behind. "Sorry about that, I didn't want to wake Elena. You okay?" I asked into the phone as I grabbed my toothbrush.
"He called me…Alan," she clarified when my mind blanked out, sounding terrified. "He's asking for ransom."
"Ransom? How much? Did he say anything about Anna? What else did he say?" I fired question upon question, my mind struggling to clear the remaining cobwebs of sleep, and focused on the issue.
"H-he said that Anna was safe and if I wanted her back, I have to prepare fifty thousand in cash and to wait for his call. I-I didn't dare to use my cell just in case he called me back, so I'm using the hotel phone. He also s-said to come alone and that if the police get involved in this, then I won't ever see my daughter again," she explained, sobbing quietly as she spoke. "Damon, what do I do? I don't have that kind of money on me!"
I pinched the bridge of my nose and squeezed my eyes closed, thinking of ways to help this woman. The fact that Alan chose to contact her for ransom after so many days didn't sit well with me. Something else was going down but I just couldn't tell what it was yet. "Okay, listen to me. Wait for me in your room and I'll figure something out. Just be calm and wait by the phone in case I need to call you later. Let me know as soon as you hear from him again. Does he know where you are?"
"Yeah, I don't know how but he knows I'm in Mystic Falls. But what about Detective Mikaelson? I'm not supposed to involve the police!"
An indecision gripped me at that moment, torn between whether or not to involve Elijah. To be honest, it wasn't my decision to make, but surely I wasn't equipped to handle this kind of criminal case on my own. "I'll handle it, Pearl. Just wait for me, okay? Sit tight," I instructed and hung up, my heart racing madly.
In terms of money, I could dip into my savings and part of my mother's insurance claims first, but the part about Elijah was a bit more tricky. I had a hunch that if Alan had known where Pearl was, he had been keeping an eye on her. That could only mean that he - along with Anna if she is still alive – are nearby, perhaps even in town. Left with no other alternative, I decided to turn to another person who would probably know what to do at a time like this.
I would have to call Ric for help.
(Elena's POV)
I woke up slowly, gradually, feeling cold. Without opening my eyes I stretched languorously, feeling all the muscles in my body tighten for a few seconds before I relaxed back into the cool sheets, spreading my limbs wide open.
My eyes flew open when I realized that my spread hands and feet should have hit another warm body by now. A quick glance around the room told me that Damon was already up and probably downstairs by now, which wasn't all that common. I had gotten so used to waking up with him right by my side every morning that this unexpected change was somewhat disappointing. Stifling a yawn, I headed into the bathroom and did my usual morning routine, getting ready for the day.
When I was done, I half-expected to see a dark-haired man lounging on the bed, waiting for me with a big smile on his face, but all I saw was an upside-down pug snoring on her back, her four pudgy legs in the air. Unable to resist her extreme adorableness, I sat back down on the edge of the bed, reaching for my iPhone with one hand while I reached over to pet Pig's enormous belly, knowing how much she enjoyed that.
As my nails tickled her stomach, I giggled to myself at the way her legs shook and trembled at my action. A quick check on my phone showed that I had a text message from Damon, left about twenty minutes before I woke up.
NEW MESSAGE FROM DAMON S.:
Good morning, sleepy head! You looked so adorable and peaceful that I decided not to wake you. I'm heading over to Pearl's hotel and we may have a new lead on Anna so I'll be with her until we know more. Don't worry! We might need to leave the hotel, too, so you should just stay in and relax today. I'll call you soon when I find out more. Love you. XOXO
p.s. You drool in your sleep. :D
Sorry, but I had to roll my eyes at that last part. I did no such thing!
I sighed dejectedly upon realizing that I basically had an entire day to myself sans Damon, and for the first time in a long time, I didn't know what to do with myself. Caroline had a class to attend so I was left to my own devices. I wasn't even sure if Stefan was home.
I settled for making breakfast after some thought and made my way downstairs, finding the usually homey mansion a little cold and creepy without the presence of the usual crowd. Luckily though, I heard Pig's pitter-patter on the floor accompanying me, and then she ran ahead of me, as if leading the way. Humming to myself, I rounded the corner into the kitchen, hearing Pig's excited bark…only to come face-to-face with the last person I ever expected to see.
"Hey, babe. I've missed you," the man said with a smile right before he reached out with a knife-wielding hand and pushed me over to the island, making me stumble into one of the stools, knocking it over.
I was too stunned to react other than to stand there bent over the kitchen top, my eyes refusing to budge from the man I thought was in police custody. "Mason?" I gasped, unable to believe what I was seeing. He held a motionless Pig in one arm, and pressed a Swiss Army knife at her neck. How was this possible? "What are you doing here? And how did you get in?"
"I guess the Salvatores aren't that big on safety and security." His eyes roved over my face and then lowered to the rest of my body before returning their gaze on my eyes. I felt violated just from that simple act alone. "For a girl who claims she got abused and raped, you sure look amazing, you know that? Love the new hair," he complimented, acting as if there was nothing unusual about him standing in the kitchen, holding a dog hostage while talking to the person who was trying to send him to jail.
I held out both hands, palms up to show that I wasn't planning anything stupid. "Look, I'm not going to run, okay? Just let Pig go and put the knife down and then we can talk."
"Oh, so now you want to talk, huh? And who names a dog a stupid name like 'Pig' anyway?" he chuckled, shaking his head as he looked down at the pug. Seeing as how he was momentarily distracted, I sneaked my hand down into my jean's pocket and withdrew my phone, intending to act casually but he caught me in the act.
"Ah ah ah, no you don't," he warned, waving the knife at me. "Put that on the table and push it towards me…slowly, or the pooch bleeds."
I weighed my options then, wondering if I would be able to make it out through the back door or to stay and confront him since I was worried about Pig getting hurt. What sort of a man would even consider hurting an animal, even threaten one? That was just the lowest of the low, in my opinion. Wordlessly, I placed my phone on the island and pushed it over.
Mason nodded his approval at my cooperation and took it, switching it off before he placed it on the counter behind him. Then he placed Pig onto the surface, no doubt due to his arm getting tired. "Tell me, Elena, why didn't you come see me when I got locked up?" he asked.
"Why? Because I had nothing to say to you. Because after everything you've done to me, I can't bring myself to see you as anything but a monster who ruined my life!"
He seemed incredulous at my outburst, and took a step towards where I was standing. "I ruined your life?! I'm the one facing jail time here, Elena! I'm the one who's going to spend a good chunk of my life behind bars just because you decided to lie to the cops that I did anything you didn't want me to do. You fucking accused me of rape!"
"It was rape!" I burst out, feeling angry at myself for being weak when my eyes welled up with tears. "I didn't want it, any of it, and you kept doing all those despicable things to me even though I said 'no' a million times. You used and abused me, Mason, and that's not all you did. You broke me," I sobbed uncontrollably, my chest heaving with every spasm that tore out of me.
"Funny, you don't look broken to me," he stated sarcastically, sneering at me. "In fact, you never looked better! I was right all along about you and Salvatore, though. You did well for yourself, babe. Found a wealthy guy who took you in, living in a huge house, got yourself a new phone…and a pet," he observed, gesturing at a growling pug who wanted to get down from the kitchen surface.
It was too high for her to jump, and probably too scared to attempt to move. She could probably sense danger and didn't know how to react. She was no watch-dog, that one.
"Damon has been nothing but generous to me, yes, but more than that, he loves me. He gives me the time and space that I needed to heal, and he respects me, which is more than I can say about how you treated me. He saved me in every way possible and made me realized that I am a strong woman, that all the bad things you ever called me neither defined nor held any power over me," I declared, feeling braver by the second. Then, I looked him in the eye and said calmly, "I am no longer that scared little girl that you can bully anymore. I am not afraid of you, Mason."
He shrugged off my show of bravado, looking around us. "So, where's your hero now, huh? He's not here to save you, is he? Let me guess; he's off to play the hero to another woman with the missing little girl. What was her name again?" he asked, playing coy even as his lips spread in a brazen smirk.
"What do you know about Anna?" I breathed out, recalling the conversation I had with Damon last night. "Did you have a hand in her kidnapping? Did you plan this whole thing out with her father? Where is she? Did you hurt her?!"
I was screaming by the end of my questioning, unable to contain my worry about the little girl, and about my own predicament. Was that why he came here, to convince me not to press charges?
"Calm down, babe," he ordered, coming even closer now to push me down onto the kitchen stool. I almost gagged at his proximity. "What makes you think it was a kidnapping? I'm simply helping a guy reunite with his daughter, that's all. Nothing wrong with that. A parent should be allowed to see his own kid, after all."
"I can't believe you!" I said, feeling sick to my stomach as I watched an arrogant look came over his face. He seriously had no qualms using an innocent to further his own selfish cause. "Do you even care that the guy was in jail for abusing his wife, his own mother and that innocent girl you helped to reunite him with? He threw his own daughter onto the floor and hurt her so badly that she had brain damage! He's the reason she was in the hospital all this time and not being able to speak!"
For a moment, I saw a glimmer of guilt behind his eyes as he heard my description of Anna's past, but then he hid any doubt he might have had behind a determined front. "Well then, I guess you better do something about it before he hurts her again, shouldn't you? Retract or change your statement to the police and everything goes away. I get to live my life, you get to live yours and little mute Anna gets to reunite with mommy again. Everybody's happy again. Deal?"
I shook my head in disbelief, appalled at the nerve of the man. Damon was right all along; the man I used to love was no longer in there. I was a fool to ever believe he was. There wasn't even a part of him that was human.
"You're crazy!" I bit out, getting to my feet as I fearlessly regarded him eye-to-eye. "You are an asshole and a criminal, Mason. You don't deserve to be free after all the crap that you did. If anything happens to Anna, I'm going to make sure to add kidnapping and murder to the charges, you heartless jerk!"
Suddenly, his fingers were wrapped around my neck in a death grip, his face so close to mine that I could see that I had successfully pushed him over the edge by the crazed look in his eyes. My hands came up to pry his fingers off their choking hold, but then his other hand joined in and pressed the tip of his knife to my cheek.
"Don't push me, Elena! You would risk her life for your own personal vendetta? If anything happens to her from now on, it's on you, not me, so don't be stupid. Make the right choice; my freedom for her life. What do you say?"
I could feel his hold on my throat tightened to the point where I could hear my own heartbeat in my ear and my head felt like it was going to explode. Everything else around me dimmed except for his face, now reddening with the effort he put into holding me still. Then my survival instincts kicked in, and I remembered that I had hours of training under my belt that he had no idea about.
"Off," I managed to wheeze out, using the last of my breath.
I let my eyes drift close and allowed my hands to drop as if they were dead weight, feigning that I was about to pass out. As expected, he immediately loosened his grip and lowered his other hand, the one that held the knife.
"What did you say?"
My eyes snapped open then, catching him off guard. "Off is the general direction I'm hoping you'd fuck!" I bit out before making my move.
Within the next few seconds, the heel of my palm connected with his nose, breaking the flimsy bone and sending him backwards as he yelled out in pain. He grabbed at his broken and bloody nose with both hands, the knife falling to the floor. I kicked it aside so that it slid under a table, hidden from his sight, and then I brought my knee up to his groin, making him double over.
With him writhing in excruciating pain, I quickly grabbed the helpless pug and ran towards the hall, not exactly sure where I was going. I heard a crash behind me, and upon turning back, I saw that he was struggling to get to his feet, grabbing onto the island and the barstools surrounding it to steady himself.
I was out of time.
I contemplated heading out the front door, but with the weight of the dog in my arms, and the lack of transportation, I really couldn't go far on my feet.
I had to look for another safe place. My body automatically made a run for the stairs at the thought of safety, and I hurried upstairs to my bedroom. I lowered Pig onto the floor and locked the door, dragging a heavy armchair to block the entrance. I looked around urgently, looking for a weapon of some sort, but I couldn't see anything I could use.
Then I remembered Damon's gun.
Just as the thought struck me, I heard multiple thumps from the hallway outside and then the sound of doors being flung open. Right on cue, Pig growled once and then released several barks at the direction of the door. I tried to shush the poor scared pug but it was already too late; the door knob twisted and the door rattled violently, followed by loud banging sounds.
I dove for the bedside drawer and picked up the pistol with trembling hands, noting the weight in my palm. I pointed it towards the door as I stood, terrified that it was going to burst open at any time.
"Elena!" Mason's angry voice came muffled through the wood. "God-dammit, if you don't come out now, then Anna's as good as dead! Do you hear me?"
My heart thudded in fear, but I stood motionless while I listened to the sounds coming from outside my room. I had no doubt that Anna was in danger, but even if I showed myself, I still had no guarantee that she would be safe. I had no contact to the outside world now, so I didn't have any means to find out. For all I knew, she could already be gone or dead by now and this was all just a ploy to get me to drop the case against him.
Bang, bang, bang, bang.
Then silence.
I didn't know how long I waited, listening intently. Then I heard him speak again and this time, I felt chilled to the bone.
"Oh good, someone's home. Let's see if that person is more willing to cooperate than you are."
Oh shit! Who would be here at this hour? Could it be Damon coming home to check on me? He was probably worried if he tried to call but couldn't get through. What if it was Care? Or Stefan?
I ran and pressed my ear to the door to hear if there were any voices to provide a clue to the identity of the person, but I could only hear Mason's heavy footsteps making their way down the hallway and then fading downstairs. Biting my lower lip in hesitation, I listened hard for more sounds, but after some time, there was only silence.
Well, I was armed and dangerous only to the ceiling, if my previous experience at the shooting range was anything to go by. Mason didn't know that, though. So, with a low command at Pig to stay in the room, I pulled the chair away from the door and cautiously opened it a crack, keeping my eyes and ears peeled for movements.
Everything was quiet in the house, but I held the gun in front of me, releasing the safety as I stealthily worked my way down the hall and then paused at the top of the stairs. After a while, I tip-toed down with my back against the wall, my eyes darting everywhere at once. Upon reaching the foyer, I walked silently towards the front door, finding it closed. I was just about to reach out to turn the knob when a voice came from behind me.
"Don't bother. Nobody else is here except for me and you."
I whirled around in shock to see him standing a few feet away, his eyes shifting to the weapon in my shaky hands.
"But y-you said that there was s-someone else here," I stammered, fear growing in my chest that someone else could be hurt in the house.
"Well, I lied!" he yelled out, his face contorted in anger. "That's who you think I am anyway, right? I lie, I bully, I beat you up, I rape, I kill! I'm just a monster to you, right?"
I didn't answer right away. I simply stood there, seeing him in his entirety. Before, in the kitchen, he just came across as someone who would do anything to get off scot-free from the crimes he was charged with, but now, he seemed different again. Different in a sense that there was something off with his demeanor, more so than before, like he was angry at himself, too.
"What happened to you, Mase? You didn't used to be this way. I mean, I was with you for two years. I couldn't be so wrong about you, could I?"
"Wrong?" he snorted. "What makes you think that? This is who I am, Elena! I'm an angry guy! I do shitty things to people I care about, right? I pushed you around and call you names to feel better about myself, okay? I go out drinking and then come home, beat the crap out of you because I had nothing better to do! No, you're not wrong about me."
My head was already shaking in denial before he even finished his statement. "No, I refuse to believe that! Something changed, I know it. Just tell me what it was and maybe I can help you," I offered in a hopeful tone, thinking it ridiculous that I was offering to help someone while pointing a gun to his face. With that in mind, I lowered the weapon but kept a firm grip on it in case he tried anything sneaky.
"You don't get it, do you? I can't change the past any more than you can change my future. What's done is done and there's nothing I can do that can undo it," he said cryptically, sounding sad and resigned.
At this point, it didn't appear as if he was even trying to convince me to drop the case any longer. It felt more like his need to purge his inner-most thoughts, things that were perhaps the catalyst that made him change.
"What are you talking about?" I asked in a soft voice, an attempt to keep him talking. "What past? Did you do something to someone else; another woman? Mason, I'm trying my best to understand here but I can't help you if-"
"Do you remember that night at the restaurant, when we were all having dinner together?" he cut in, appearing as if he was a million miles away and reminiscing a time in our past that I had no indication of. I had no idea which night he was referring to, but he didn't seem to notice anyway. "Your mother told me straight to my face that she didn't like me, that she didn't think that we suited each other, remember? She thought you were too good for me, like I was beneath you. Well, I showed her."
The contempt in his tone was clear. I knew that he was hurt by what my Mom had told him that night but I figured that he understood. Any parent would be worried that their daughter shouldn't be involved in a serious relationship while still in school. She was just being protective, that's all. Why was this even relevant to what was happening in his life now?
"Wait, that was the night my parents-what does my mother have to do with anything?"
"It has everything to do with everything that's happened since then! Can you not see? The guilt, the reminder, the pressure of seeing you every single day. It was like there was no escape! I tried to make things right again, I did, but all it did was to keep on screwing with my head. That night was the beginning of it all!" Mason had a crazed look on his face now, his eyes wild and blood-shot as if he was holding back tears.
I tried to make sense of everything he had divulged so far, but nothing fit. It was as if he was purposely speaking in riddles, showing me pieces of a puzzle but never quite giving me the whole picture.
"Look, Mason, I think you should calm down and-"
"You wanted to know the whole truth and nothing but the truth, right? Well I'm giving it to you!" It was as if he was reprimanding me for not listening now that he was willing to open up, so I clammed my lips shut and listened. "That night your parents' car lost control and ended up in a ditch, I was there. I was the heartless bastard who chased after them and forced them off the road. I saw the car skid, and I watched your father grab the steering wheel trying to gain control of it, but it was too late. I saw your parents die, Elena, and I sped away before anybody could see me."
"'No," I shook my head in disbelief, tears started to stream down my cheeks unchecked as I heard his words. It wasn't possible, I told myself.
He wasn't finished. "Do you understand now? Do you still want me to calm the fuck down after hearing the truth?" he questioned forcefully, as if daring me to answer.
"You weren't there! Y-you sent me home, remember? I-I remember that you drove me home," I mumbled to myself, my hands trembling violently with the gun in my loosening grip.
"I did send you home, and then I drove over to intercept your parents' car on their way back. I wanted to confront your mother for what she said during dinner. I wanted her to accept our relationship, and ask her not to judge before she got to know me. I don't know what it was, but your Dad must have freaked out when he saw my car coming that fast that he sped up and swerved a few times until he lost control and then-and then they were just…..dead," he recalled with a haunted expression.
In the minutes since we've spoken, he seemed to have aged a lot, his skin stretched tautly over his face, showing the tiny lines around his eyes and mouth clearly. But I couldn't bring myself to care, because the truth was just absolutely earth-shattering. I couldn't do anything except to keep on staring at him.
"And after that," he went on in a whisper, "I spent the longest time in denial, pretending as if everything was fine. I saw how upset you were, and I did the only thing that I could think of to make things right again. I took you in, paid for college and hoped to God that I could forget that night ever happened, but it refused to leave me alone. It haunted me, day and night, until I snapped and every time I saw your face, it only served as a painful reminder of my relentless guilt. So, I got angry and I took it out on you. And then that added to my guilt. It was just a vicious cycle," he finished, sounding relieved that the truth was finally out in the open.
I was numb with shock, unable to process it all in my head. His words just swirled in one enormous jumbled mess in my mind, and I could not make any sense of it all. What was he saying; that he was directly responsible for the death of my parents? That if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be in this situation where I had no family, no home and no money for an education?
My body sank down in exhaustion, my hands no longer able to support the weight of the gun. They slid down, hanging uselessly by my thighs as I gave in to the despair that I felt at the painful reminder that my parents' death was for no other reason than the petty anger of one man. The man whom I had lived with and loved for two years. The man whom I had leaned on for support and understanding. The man whom I allowed to physically abuse me because I thought I had somehow deserved it, that it was my fault somehow.
I gasped when Mason lunged at me all of a sudden, his hands gripping mine firmly and held them between us, pointing the pistol at his chest.
"Go ahead, use that gun. Shoot me, and end this guilt. Go on, shoot me! You know you want to, Elena. I'm guilty!" he cried out, sounding desperate to end it all right then.
I struggled against him in a failing attempt to loosen his hold. "No, I c-can't! Let go," I cried out, pleading helplessly as his fingers wrestled with mine.
"You lost your parents and your home because of me! Shoot me!"
"Please!" I begged, fighting to hold on to the weapon between us, trying valiantly to point it elsewhere. I used all my strength to turn the barrel to the side, finally gaining the upper hand.
It was an endless tug-of-war between us now. Neither of us knew who the winner would be, but we sure as hell didn't want to be the loser. I certainly didn't count on him being suicidal all of a sudden.
"Do it, Elena! I deserve this! Just shoot-"
The front door swung open unexpectedly, momentarily garnering my attention from the urgent situation between us. My heart leaped when I saw Damon storming in, his terrified blue eyes zeroing in on our joint hands.
And then a shot rang out, echoing in my ears.
My twitter: cgsa_cher
I'm really appreciative of my good friend and beta KRISTI (tukct81). I've bribed you, promised to fly thousands of miles to see you, taken my hats off to you, asked my readers to thank you and even took photos of my naked stuffed hippo in compromising positions to send to you. I really don't know how else to thank you so I'll just send a telepathic message of my gratitude to you. GOT IT?
To all my readers, guess who got shot? MUAHAHAHAHA! I'm expecting some yelling and a few choice words, so bring it on. I've got my thick skin firmly on. BRRRRRRRING IT!
If you're wondering about how Mason got out of police custody, that will be explained in the next chapter from Damon's POV. We'll get an update on little Anna, too! Hang tight!