The Sinister Silhouette-D2D, page 32
“I’ve been hoping you would show up here. I’ve been across the street at a friend’s house, quietly watching.”
I grip the paper on my lap and hold it up. “How is this possible?” I ask shakily.
He throws back his head and laughs manically. When he looks back at me, his face is red from his mirth.
“It was easy actually.” He takes a step forward, and I shrink back against the nightstand behind me. “You can find almost any document online if you look hard enough.”
“But you showed me pictures of us together. Pictures that are the same in this box, but different.”
His smile grows, revealing his teeth. “Luca’s good at drawing and tattooing. I’m good at computer shit.” He shrugs. “It was simple to alter those pictures to what I needed them to show. You with me, instead of him.” He spits the last word out loathingly.
I swallow past the lump in my throat. “But why?”
The grin fades from his face and his eyes turn hard, mean, evil. “Because I fucking saw you first. You were mine. But then you had to walk in that fucking tattoo shop and ruin everything.”
I remember Luca telling me about his dream of Nicole and me coming into the tattoo shop. A sudden image of a pair of light blue eyes come to mind and the feeling of being mesmerized by them. It’s only the eyes I see, but somehow, I know they’re Luca’s and not Theo’s.
I look back at Theo and see he’s moved even closer. Fear has my muscles bunching together.
“I don’t understand. Why would me going into his tattoo shop ruin everything?”
“Because the bastard took one look at you and wanted you for himself,” he spits out. “You want the truth so bad? Let me tell you a little story.”
I can practically see the rage radiating off him and it makes me very nervous. I’ve felt what Theo can do when he’s angry, but something tells me I haven’t felt the worst of what he’s capable of.
“It’s true that you came into my shop when the ones across town couldn’t fit you in. It wasn’t me though that spoke with you. It was Ernie, my boss. I was taking care of a customer when you walked in and left before I got a chance to meet you. I had planned to ask you out when you came back to get your car, but the next day, you met Luca. A couple of days later, he came with you to get your car from the shop, and that’s how I met you. Hanging on Luca’s fucking arm. You two only knew each other two fucking days and you were already gushing all over him. It made me fucking sick to see. You were mine, goddammit.”
I flinch at his harsh tone. He notices, and the creepy smile comes back when he continues.
“I tried seducing you away from him, but you were so hung up on Luca, you couldn’t see me past him. You went to him and he stormed my house and beat the shit out of me. His own damn twin, over a fucking girl. It still didn’t stop me though. You were still mine, you just hadn’t accepted it yet, but I knew you would eventually. I followed you. I took pictures of you. Every single fucking time I saw you two together, I wanted to kill him.”
His eyes turn to angry slits and my fear morphs into terror, because I know this encounter is not going to end well for me. The man is clearly deranged.
“Then I found out you and he got married and planned to leave Silver Hill. I couldn’t let that happen. I went to your house to try one more time, but again, you rejected me. I found you packing, waiting for him to come get you. Since you wouldn’t give me what I wanted”—He bends at the waist and shouts his next words—“I fucking took it.”
Nausea rolls violently in my stomach, and I gag. Luckily nothing comes up. A pair of evil eyes from my dream the other night flash in my mind, and I recoil. The pain and fear my dream self felt roll in me. I’m not sure how much more I can take of what Theo’s telling me before I lose it. Unfortunately, he’s not done.
“Mmm…,” he moans. “Even though he had you before me, it felt so fucking good to finally have your tight pussy wrapped around my cock. It was the best I ever had. I had every intention of taking you with me, but finally knowing what you felt like solidified my decision.” His head tips to the side as he regards me. “Do you remember me shoving my cock inside you, Jules? How much it hurt? Do you remember fighting me, only to be held down and forced to take every inch? I laughed in your face when you begged me to stop then started crying for my brother to save you. It was my punishment to you for choosing him over me. I would have been gentle with you, would have worshipped you, given you so much more than he ever could, but you fucked that up the first time you let Luca touch you. I wanted it to hurt and I made sure of it.”
This time I can’t stop the vomit from leaving my lips. I bend to the side and expel the food in my stomach. I heave and heave and heave until there’s nothing left. My throat is raw, and tears run a constant stream down my face. I feel like my head is going to explode at any minute.
“That’s fucking disgusting,” he snarls.
I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand and drag my gaze back to him, my breathing coming out in heavy puffs. His expression shows distaste, as if me throwing up on his floor is so much worse than what he’s done to me and Luca.
“What in the hell is wrong with you?” I cry. “What kind of sick person does that to people?”
He shrugs. “The kind that goes after what he wants and doesn’t let anything get in his way.”
“Why didn’t my doctors tell me about my attack when I woke up? It has to be in my medical records.”
A creepy smile slides across his lips. “I told them not to tell you. I wanted to be the one because I just knew it would upset you. The doctor agreed that it may be too much for you to handle, and we should let the memories come back on their own, or I tell you in private later on. Just another piece of the puzzle that worked in my favor.”
“And my parents?” I ask hoarsely. “They never knew I was in a coma, did they?”
Another crazed laugh falls from his lips. “Fucking awesome, right? Them kicking you to the curb when you told them you and Luca got married played in perfectly with my plans. They thought you and Luca left as you told them you were going to, so they never looked for you. Poor fucking rich bastards never knew you were only fifteen miles from them the whole time.”
My stomach heaves with pain. “Why give me a fake number?”
“It was just another way to punish you. Seeing the pain on your face when you thought they were rejecting you was priceless.”
“How—” I start then stop when the word comes out a croak. I clear my scratchy throat. I don’t know why I’m still asking questions. I know all I need to know. I know my life for over seven years has been a sick lie. I know Luca unknowingly has suffered just as much as me. And I know the man before me won’t stop for anything to get what he wants, even without his words from a moment ago telling me. Tears track down my cheeks as I look up at him. “How could you hate me so much? How could you hate your brother so much? He’s your family.”
He gnashes his teeth and an eerie sound comes from his throat. “Because you both fucked up my plans. It was going to be me and you who got married. Me and you who moved from this fucked-up town. Me and you who were going to have children. He took everything from me and you fucking let him.”
“I hate you.” Now it’s my turn to bare my teeth at him. My voice is as cold as ice. “I hate you, and I hope you rot in hell. And that Luca is the one who puts you there.”
Just as I say the last word, my phone starts ringing. I look down at it on the floor beside me then frantically reach for it. Right as my hand touches it, Theo’s boot lands on top of my fingers. I cry out at the shooting pain and snatch my hand back.
I hold it to my chest as he stomps on the small device until it’s in several pieces. My hopes crumble. It was my only means to call for help. I have the other phone, but haven’t memorized anyone’s number. I could call the police, but from experience, I know they won’t make it here in time. My only hope is that Luca sees my message and comes for me. I have no doubt he will, I just don’t know if he’ll make it before it’s too late.
Luca, please help! I scream silently.
When he’s done smashing the phone, he reaches down and grabs me by the hair. I cry out when he yanks me to my feet.
“Shut up, bitch,” he growls menacingly.
“What are you going to do?” I yell.
He puts his face so close to mine that spit flies out and lands on my cheek when he barks, “We’re going to have a little reunion.”
I start to struggle against him, clawing at the hand in my hair and kicking out with my feet. I manage to hit his shin and he hisses out a curse. The backhand hit he delivers has me seeing stars. For a moment, I’m disoriented, but it’s not long before I’m struggling once again. I’m thrown to the bed and before I get the chance to bolt away, he’s sitting on my lower stomach. He grips both of my wrists then maneuvers them into one of his hands. He bends down until our noses touch.
“This is what you did the first time I took you, Jules,” he taunts, then licks my cheek. I fight back the bile rising in my throat. “If it makes you feel any better, you put up a good fight, you just weren’t strong enough.”
He buries his face in my neck and sucks a piece of my flesh into his mouth.
“You taste so fucking good. Better than I remember,” he mumbles. He pulls back and looks at the spot on my neck his lips were just at. “My mark looks so good on you. Just how it’s supposed to be, and how it will always be.”
Anger, white-hot and fierce, gives me courage, and I lift my head and spit in his face. “I’ll never be yours,” I seethe.
His retaliation to my claim is ripping my shirt open. “We’ll see about that.” He grabs my breast through my bra and twists hard.
Ignoring the pain, I buck my hips and try with all my might to pull my hands free. The bones in my wrist scream in protest as he tightens his hold. When he dips his head and bites my nipple, I whimper in pain. Not willing to give up, I lift my head and grab a hold of his ear with my teeth. I bite down as hard as I can, and blood fills my mouth. I yank hard and part of his ear comes away with my teeth. I spit the chunk of ear out then gag at the taste of blood.
“Motherfucker,” he screams and falls to his side, grabbing his mangled ear.
I roll several times, trying to make it to the other side of the bed. His fingers graze my foot right as I reach the edge. I roll to my back and kick out with everything in me. My foot hits his chest and he flies backward. Unfortunately, my momentum is too great, and I launch off the other side. My head explodes in pain when my temple clips the corner of the bedside table.
Darkness descends, but it doesn’t last long. Visions, one after the other, assail me.
Walking into the tattoo shop and seeing Luca for the first time. The instant attraction I felt for him.
Him cornering me at the tattoo shop before Nicole and I left, demanding my phone number, me giving it, and him giving me the most passionate kiss of my life.
Our first conversation on the phone that same night. It was two hours long. I know, because I was so giddy that I timed it.
Our first date.
Our second, third, and fourth kisses, and every one that came afterward.
The strong connection I felt toward him.
The moment I knew I loved him.
The first time I said it and the beautiful way he repeated it.
The night we made love for the first time.
Standing in front of the judge at the courthouse. The pure happiness and the feeling of rightness when he announced us husband and wife.
Every day that we spent together. Every single moment of the short five weeks we had together.
I also remember Theo trying to coerce me into leaving Luca. His adamancy that he and I belonged together. Him forcing his lips against mine. The sick feeling it left in my stomach. The anger Luca portrayed when I told him what his brother did. The worry I felt when he stormed out of the house to confront Theo, and the relief when he came back home.
Then come the memories of the evening after we were married and our plans to leave town. Luca refused for me to give up my dream of earning a degree in interior design, so we were moving to Westerly until I got my degree, then were going to move back closer home so he could take over his dad’s shop.
I was waiting on Luca, who was due to pick me up later that evening. When I pulled open the door, I thought Luca was early. It only took me seconds to realize it wasn’t him, but his brother. Paralyzing terror. That’s the only way to describe what I felt as I saw him standing there. The pain, oh God, the pain of what Theo did to me was excruciating.
He brutally raped me in my own home. He was so mean and hateful with his actions that I must have blacked out. When I came to, I had never been in so much pain in my life. I thought he had left because he was nowhere around. I got up, but right as I found my phone, he came out of the hallway. The blow he delivered to my head knocked me backward, and I hit my head on something hard. After that, everything is black. Until the day I woke up in the hospital a few weeks ago.
Coming back to the present, I blink up at the ceiling. My head pounds and my vision is distorted around the edges. I feel like I’m floating on air. I can’t move, but I know I should. I need to get away as fast as I can, but my limbs won’t work.
A face appears over me and blood drips from his ear and onto my chest. The drops are scalding hot and they burn like acid on my sensitive skin.
“You’ll regret doing that, Jules,” Theo sneers, and reaches for me.
I scream. I scream so loud it pierces my ears and my throat feels like it’s on fire. Another sharp pain meets my head as his fist lands against it.
White stars and black space fill my vision. As I lie limply on the bed and my mind blanks of everything that’s going on, one last memory surfaces.
What I found out the day Luca and I got married. The news I couldn’t wait to share with him.
CHAPTER THIRTY
Luca
MY PHONE RINGS FOR the second time in the matter of minutes. Normally, I ignore calls while I’m inking a client until I get to a stopping point, but something’s nagging at me that I need to answer. I set my machine down, grab a paper towel, and spray some cleaner on the design I’m only halfway finished with.
“Take five. I need to grab this,” I tell Thomas.
“I need to take a piss anyway,” he responds, getting up from the chair.
I pull off my gloves and snatch up my phone. Two missed calls from Kale, the guy I have watching Theo’s house. Unease settles in my gut.
There’s also a text message from Jules that I don’t remember hearing the notification for. I pull up her message before calling Kale back.
Jules: I’m finished with my appointment. Don’t get angry, but I’m going to Theo’s. I left my locket that has my sister’s picture in it. I’ll grab Mr. Waffles while I’m there.
I scowl down at her message and notice it came in twenty minutes ago. What in the hell is she thinking? Yes, Theo hasn’t been around, but that doesn’t mean he couldn’t show up at any time. The thought of her being there and him coming home sends fear racing through me. My fingers fly across the screen to bring up Kale’s number. Something doesn’t feel right, and Kale’s missed calls only makes the feeling worse.
It rings five times before it goes to voicemail. I try again and get the same thing. I hang up and dial Jules’s number next. It only rings twice before it goes to voicemail.
“Fuck!” I yell and launch my work table across the room. Shit goes flying everywhere, but I ignore it as I run out of the room. I really don’t fucking like this.
“Ella!” I yell my sister’s name.
“What’s going on?”
She’s already behind me, following me to the back room. I yank open the door that leads to where my truck is parked in the alley.
“Jules is at Theo’s and she’s not answering her phone. Tell Thomas to come back next week for me to finish. It’s on the house.”
“Wait!” Ella calls as I start closing the door. “What are you going to do?”
“What I should have done the first time he touched her without her permission.”
I leave it at that, slam the door behind me, and sprint to my motorcycle. I break every traffic law as I race toward Jules, my hands cramping on the handle bars. I send up prayer after prayer that she’s okay, and that I’ll have the will to not kill the bastard once I get my hands on him.
The whole way there, I keep calling Jules’s and Kale’s numbers, I’m beyond caring how dangerous it is. I know not to use a phone while riding, but my need to hear her voice is beyond overpowering and every time they don’t answer my anger and worry heighten.
Right as I’m pulling onto Theo’s street, Kale finally answers his phone.
“Where are you?” he asks, sounding out of breath.
“Pulling onto Hellmen. What in the fuck is going on?”
“Dude, get here quick. I think I just heard your girl scream from inside Theo’s house.”
A blistering pain takes residence in my stomach, followed closely by a rage so deep, so all-consuming, I can’t fucking see straight.
“Motherfucker!" I yell and pull on the gas harder then screech to a halt seconds later when I pull up in front of Theo’s house.
Just as I sling my leg over the tank and land both feet firmly on the asphalt, I see Kale running across the yard. I beat him to the porch steps. I don’t stop, just use my forward momentum and my shoulder to bust open the door. It only takes me seconds to see the destruction of the living room and the absence of Jules.
“Came from the back of the house,” Kale says, but I’m already running down the hallway.
My body convulses at what I see. My motherfucking twin hovering over Jules, blood dripping from his fucked-up ear and onto her bare chest as he frantically tries to pull down her pants.
She’s not moving. Not her arms, legs, or even her fucking chest. She’s just lying there, limp. My goddamn heart stops and my lungs painfully deflate.
