The runway affair, p.26
The runway affair, page 26
Addie flinches, peeking through her hair just as Sutton whips her head with the gun, her head falling back with a weak groan. Sutton grabs a chunk of her hair and pulls her head forward, as Addie screams. Her eye is swollen, with a laceration across her eyebrow and multiple abrasions from where the gun made contact. Her nose is pouring blood, and it looks like it may be broken.
“She should have died when I hit her with the fucking car.”
“Why did you blame Claire?” I need to distract her so she doesn't hurt Addie any more
than she already has.
She grins from ear-to-ear. “The moment she reacted the way she did, it was perfect. I was calm and collected, even though I was seething on the inside, knowing you were fucking her. I knew I had to leave before I blew up. It was so easy framing her.” Sutton waves the gun around as she lets go of Addie's head. “I didn’t plan for her to do that. I thought I'd have to create a crazed fan, but she became an accomplice and never even realized it. It was easy to gain her trust and hack her phone to get all your information—the schedules for her and the kids and her allergies. Nuts. So fucking easy.”
“Why are you doing this?”
“Don’t you see? I love you. We’re endgame, baby. I’m sorry about drugging you our first night together.” Her lips twist into a small frown. “I just wanted you to want me without remembering her. We could have been happy together, but you still rejected me. I had to pretend I wasn’t angry. I didn’t want to ruin our friendship—I couldn’t lose you. I thought if we screwed, you would fall in love with me like I loved you.
“And then you got fucking married! What did that bitch have that I didn't? Fake tits?” she growls at the memory of Camilla. “I had to pretend I wasn’t angry, that I was off fucking random men when you were the only person I wanted! I got tired of it. That bitch didn’t deserve you, just like she doesn’t. Camilla was a fucking whore. She never loved you.”
I squeeze my eyes closed, seeing the graphic images of Cami’s body. The anger. The rage. She shoved a knife inside her while she was still alive.
“Why did you kill her the way you did?”
Sutton smiles, her body almost vibrating with excitement. Is she turned on? The bitch his really fucking psycho.
“She cheated on you. You weren’t happy with her. She deserves everything coming to her. She said I was crazy, that you would never love me, just like you never loved her. She knew you loved this whore, but she stayed with you. Her face when I shoved the knife inside her cunt was beautiful. No one talks about my beautiful wife like that—no one. I was angry, and I lost control with the knife, but I didn’t care. When I stabbed her, it was exhilarating, seeing the life leave her eyes with every single cut. Maybe the throat slashing was overboard, but she couldn’t survive with a severed jugular. I knew she’d be dead, and then we could be together.
“I thought that after you were accused, you’d want me. I was there for you through everything. I held you while you cried. I even visited you and the twins in France. I was there every step of the way, but you still didn’t want me.”
“You framed me! We wouldn’t have been able to be together if I was in prison.”
“I know, baby. I know. I had to play it off. You had an alibi. I had to transfer the money to an account so they wouldn’t be suspicious of me. I was so close to having you, but then she came back. She ruined everything. She made your life miserable. I couldn’t let her do it again.” Sutton glowers at Addie, who jumps when Sutton touches her arm. “I mean, I get it. She is hot, but she’s not what you need. She’s a fucking whore.”
Sutton runs the barrel of the gun over Addie’s face, moving down her neck to her chest. The gun hits her nipple hard, and Addie jumps, trying to move her body away as the gun travels lower and lower. The gun gets to her thighs, and she tries to close them, but Sutton grips the back of Addie's hair, angling her face upwards.
“Don’t be shy now. What? Scar can call you a whore while she’s fucking you and your pussy gets wet, but me? You’re dry as fuck.” Sutton has the gun between her legs, Addie shaking with fear. “A fucking whore.” Sutton thrusts the gun between her legs, and Addie screams as her body convulses.
I wince hearing Addie’s pain, seeing Sutton get off on her misery. She lifts the gun, and it glistens with blood.
“Sutton! Stop!”
Sutton comes back to me, grabbing my jaw as I look at Addie, who is sobbing in her seat, blood pouring from her legs. The barrel must’ve cut her.
Sutton forces my mouth open, shoving the gun into my mouth, and Addie’s blood hits my tongue. I force myself not to gag; I never want to taste her like this again. “I could kill you both and take those kids, tell them Mommy and Addie died trying to get to them.”
“Don’t touch my kids, bitch,” I scream, but it’s muffled by the gun between my lips.
She rips the gun from my mouth, slamming her lips to mine. She forces her tongue into my mouth, but I bite down, hard. Sutton screams, smacking me across the face.
“Ugh! I should just kill her, and then we won’t have to worry about her. We can be happy. I’ll fuck her memory from you, baby. We can be a family.” I need to distract her. “Or I can fuck you in front of her. The last thing she’ll see is me bringing you pleasure before I put a bullet in her fucking head.”
Sutton straddles my hips, grinding into me, pushing my body back as she kisses my neck. I’m going to need a shower in hellfire just to get her off my skin.
I look at Addie as she watches wide eyed. ‘Trust me,’ I mouth, and she nods weakly.
“Sutton, baby, kiss me.”
Sutton grips my cheeks as she kisses me fervently. The whole time, I want to gag, to push her off me or headbutt her, but she’s in control until I can convince her to untie me.
“Fuck, baby, you taste amazing. I missed your lips,” Sutton moans. “I can’t wait to have your mouth on my pussy.”
“Let me taste you, baby. Let me get rid of her.” I see her eyes flash.
“I don’t trust you. I want you, but I don’t trust you. Not yet.”
She jumps off my hips, pointing the gun at Addie. I don’t know if she screams or if I scream as the gun goes off and Sutton laughs hysterically.
Please, let someone save us.
64
ADDIE
The pain doesn’t register at first with the pain between my legs and the thumping in my skull. Then, it hits me like a ton of bricks all at once. It burns like a fire erupting in my soul as crimson spills from my belly. Sutton waves the gun around, pointing it at my chest. I don’t know the statistics of surviving an abdominal GSW, but I know a direct hit in the chest, and I’ll be dead in minutes.
I don’t want to die, not like this, leaving Scarlett alone with this crazy bitch, but she’s unhinged, determined to make sure I die. My body hurts. In between my legs is screaming as blood pours from me.
I know what Scarlett’s doing.
She’s protecting me.
Sutton’s going to touch her, and I know she doesn’t want that. She’s determined to get us both out alive, but Sutton is unstable, and one wrong word could have her shooting Scarlett. I can’t watch her die, and I can’t watch her use herself to protect me.
Sutton is moving her hips against Scarlett, kissing her neck. She told me to trust her, and I do, with my life.
“Untie me, baby. I want to touch you. I want her to watch,” Scarlett murmurs against her skin. “Let her watch.”
“Why? Why should I believe you?”
“I never loved her. Once upon a time, yes, but how could I love the woman who ripped my heart from my chest? She cheated on me with a man. Who knows how many other people fucked her? She was easy pussy and a babysitter for my kids. She’s a whore, just like you said, baby. Let her watch while I enjoy my meal.”
I gasp, wincing in pain, and I can see a flicker of regret in Scarlett’s eyes. It feels like my heart is ripped from my chest, a gaping hole all that remains. It’s fake. It’s fake.
Sutton unties her binds, and Scarlett jumps up, grabbing Sutton by the neck and slamming her lips to hers as her hands tease the hem of her bloody shirt. Scarlett slowly moves her back towards me, and I caught a glimpse of her eyes. She is plotting something. Her hands pull up Sutton’s blouse, but instead of ripping it from her body, she wraps it around her head before kicking her. Sutton screams, and Scarlett takes the chance to grab the gun from her hand.
Scarlett pushes away and aims the gun at her. “Do you really think I’d fuck you? I need to bleach my mouth just from kissing you.”
Sutton growls. “I love you, Scarlett! She ruined everything!”
“Sutton, get it through your fucking head. I don’t love you. Addie is the love of my life. You drugged me to get me to sleep with you. I don’t know what fucking world you live in, but you raped me, and every time I fucked you willingly, it was because you were an easy fucking lay. I never wanted you. I could never love someone like you.”
Sutton screams at her words, running full force at Scarlett. The two of them tumble to the ground as Sutton tries to grab her neck, but Scarlett fights her off the best she can. Sutton manages to flip them, grabbing the gun as they struggle. Grunts and screams fill the kitchen as I watch the scene in front of me. Everything is starting to blur, but I fight to stay awake.
I can’t fall asleep and lose Scarlett.
If I sleep, I don’t think I’ll wake up this time.
My mind is screaming as the gun goes off. I snap my attention to them, only to find that neither one is moving. My wrists are going to be raw from how much force I’m using to loosen them. I call Scarlett’s name as I hear the front door slam against the wall, and Zade’s voice fills the room.
“Scarlett!” I struggle against my restraints, fresh tears in my eyes. She hasn’t moved. “Scar!”
Zade and Zoey rush into the kitchen, guns drawn. They assess the scene for a moment before looking at me, but I shake my head, screaming at them. “No! Scarlett! She hasn’t moved.”
Zade helps Scarlett while Zoey comes to my aid, but I’m focused on the woman I love. Zade pushes Sutton’s body away, and the gun falls from Scarlett’s hand as she lets out a strangled sob. Zade helps her up as she looks at her blood-covered hands and chest; Sutton has a bullet wound in the center of her chest, her dull, lifeless eyes gazing at the ceiling.
It’s like she’s in a trance, trying to grasp reality as I howl in pain, Zoey applying pressure to my stomach. The adrenaline of focusing on Scarlett finally leaves my body, and all the pain and agony of my wounds come back with a full force. Scarlett lets go of Zade and stumbles to me as Zoey unties my restraints.
Once my restraints are gone, I lunge forward, and we fall to the ground in each other’s arms, sobbing. Scarlett cradles me, shielding my body from the men in the room.
“I’m so sorry. I’m sorry,” she repeats, her voice breaking with her tears. “I never wanted her. Everything was a lie. I promise. I love you.”
Zoey offers her jacket, covering my body as I look at Scarlett. “I know. I love you.” I feel my head droop and my eyes roll, but I snap my attention back. “I don’t feel good, Scar.” My words are barely a whisper.
“No. no. Don’t do that to me again, baby. Hold on a little longer. It’s over. Don’t leave me.”
“Medical is two minutes out. Hold on, Addie," Zoey says as she keeps pressure on my wound.
I’m not dying this time. I refuse.
“The next time I see you in a hospital bed, it better be because of a baby. I don’t want to see any more GSWs or broken ribs from you,” Dr. Marren announces as he steps into my room.
I just woke from anesthesia. I forced myself to fight, but once again, I passed out from blood loss in the ambulance. Scarlett was by my side the entire time, even though she had to get her own cat scan to make sure Sutton didn’t cause any damage.
Sutton is dead.
It’s really over this time.
“We’re going to keep you for a few days. The bullet missed vital organs, but you have a concussion and an orbital fracture.”
I nod, biting the inside of my cheeks. “What about the va-vaginal trauma?” Everything else can heal, but if Sutton hurt me enough to make it impossible to have kids, it would be heart wrenching.
He rests his hand on my arm, and I can already feel the tears swell in my eyes. “We fixed the damage, Adeline. You had a nasty laceration against your vaginal wall, but nothing life altering.”
I let out the sob I’m holding and grab Scarlett's hand.
“Thank you, doctor,” Scarlett says as I cry.
Once the doctor is gone, I tangle my hands into Scarlett’s hair and pull her down to me, capturing her lips in a fiery kiss. I pull her closer until she’s basically straddling my hips in the hospital bed, but I don’t care.
“Baby,” I mutter between kisses. “Let’s make a baby.”
“Addie, my love. I will fuck you five ways to Sunday when we can work on getting pregnant, but right now, you need to heal.”
I grumble. “I don’t wanna wait.”
She smiles against my forehead. “I know baby, but we don’t have to rush now. I’m going to marry you first, and then we can have our baby.”
EPILOGUE
SCARLETT
Seven months later
I shift at the altar, adjusting my dress. My lungs feel tight, and my heart thumps wildly in my chest. My palms run down the lace, playing it cool so our guests won’t know I’m a sweaty mess in the autumn breeze.
The sun dances through the tall trees surrounding us as the cool air kisses my heated skin. It is beautiful today, perfect for the fall wedding of Addie’s dreams. The trees are pulled straight from a work of art, with splashes of red, orange and yellow. Addie requested to have fairy lights stretched across the branches so she could feel her father’s presence with us today, but he was already here.
Rose Oak is a venue owned by a friend. Normally, it fit hundreds of people for big celebrity weddings, but we wanted something more intimate, with just close friends and our chosen family.
Log benches sit in front of me, with a braided line of sunflowers, carnations, roses, and mahogany bows on the end of each row. The giant willow tree behind me is draped with an off-white satin sheet, and lanterns hang around the limbs around our altar. The aisles are kissed with red rose petals, creating a beautiful and elegant pathway for Addie to walk to me.
In a few moments, my bride will emerge from the cabin at the lake. Light instrumentals weave through the air, mixing with the soft murmur of voices. Everyone here has been patiently waiting for this day, but not nearly as much as I’ve been.
I made sure to hire both a wedding photographer and a videographer to capture every moment of our special day. This is the moment I’ve been waiting for. The moment I saw Addie again, images of today flashed through my mind.
I feel all eyes on me, but this time, it isn’t because I am the face of a murder. Today, I am
marrying the love of my life. Today, Addie will become my wife.
My wife.
I made sure today would be perfect—Addie deserves nothing but the best, the perfect fairytale ending to our crazy love story.
Zoey smiles at me, clutching my bouquet in her hand. There would be no one else I’d want standing by my side today than her. Of course, I had to have Zade next to her in his suit. Addie has Miles as her Maid of Honor, a title he didn’t take lightly. Jordy is next to him in a suit, their hair framing their face.
Remington looks beautiful in her red gown, her hair curled, a sunflower garland twisted into a crown. She throws white petals onto the path before taking her place in front of Zoey. Rhyder follows behind her with the rings, a big smile on his face. I think my kids are more excited about our wedding than we are.
Now I See the Light plays softly through the speakers as the crowd stands. Of course, we needed to add a small hint of Disney into our wedding. Slowly, I see my beautiful bride emerge from the trees. Agatha and Addie wait at the end of the trail, and I swear, my soul leaves my body.
Beautiful isn’t the right word to explain how gorgeous she looks.
Breathtaking. Stunning. Jaw dropping.
She’s always been gorgeous, could always steal the breath from my lungs, but seeing her dressed in white is something out of a fantasy. She chose a beautiful lace ballgown with a flowy tulle skirt that hugs her curves and a plunging V-neck with floral embellishments that scatter as the dress flows down her hips. There’s a layer of sparkle that makes her shine as she walks.
She’s a princess pulled right out of a fairytale.
Her hair falls in beautiful waves down her shoulders, the side pinned with a silver sunflower clip, a few strands of hair framing her gorgeous face. Her veil flows over her shoulders as she grips her bouquet of red roses and sunflowers. Addie’s eyes are trained on me, but I know she’s a nervous wreck. She’s counting every step, focusing so she won’t trip.
My throat tightens, and I feel a weight on my chest. It’s too soon to start crying, but God, she is beautiful.
Everything fades around us, and it is just the two of us as she walks down the aisle. I reach out my hand as she nears, pulling her to me. I want to kiss her, but I need to control myself.
“You look breathtaking,” I whisper.
A blush creeps up her neck and kisses her cheeks. “Me? Have you looked at yourself?”
I can’t take my eyes off her as our officiant goes through the basics of a wedding. This was finally happening.
“Scarlett and Adeline have written their own vows,” she says, interrupting my thoughts. “Adeline, you may go first.”
Addie smiles, taking a deep breath. “Scarlett Marie, I cannot believe we’re finally doing this. It only took ten agonizing years, plus almost dying three times, but I finally get to marry you. I’ve loved you for what feels like an eternity. You are my best friend, the love of my life, and the person I want to grow old and wrinkly with.” The crowd laughs lightly. “I’ve loved you every moment of every day. Even when we were apart, you had my heart. Being reunited, I felt like I was hit by a truck. I was scared, hurting, but my love for you never died. Nothing—not a car, not a crazy woman in love with you, nor a simple peanut—could take me away from you. You are my person.” Tears fall from her eyes, and I impulsively wipe them as she leans into my touch. “You are my inspiration, the fire in my soul. You are my heart, my everything, and I can’t wait for our future. I’m ready for the minivan and the mom jeans. I’m ready to be the best mom to your twins and to our future children. I’m ready to be the best wife to an amazing woman. I cannot wait for us to conquer this life of ours together. I love you, and I cannot wait to spend an eternity with the love of my life.”
