The hanged man, p.1
The Hanged Man, page 1
The Hanged Man
Clarissa Wild
Contents
More Books by Clarissa Wild
Music Playlist
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Epilogue
Excerpt of Caged
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
More Books by Clarissa Wild
About Clarissa Wild
The Hanged Man © 2018 Clarissa Wild
Copy Editing by Editing4Indies
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, places, organizations, or person, whether living or dead, is entirely coincidental. All characters in this book are eighteen years of age or older.
This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to the retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
More Books by Clarissa Wild
Standalones
Mr. X
Twenty-One (21)
Ultimate Sin
Viktor
Father
Dark Romance
Delirious Series
Stalker & Killer (prequel to Stalker)
Wicked Bride Games & Dirty Wife Games
Caged & Locked & Chased
New Adult
Fierce Series
Blissful Series
Ruin
Erotic Romance
The Billionaire’s Bet Series
Enflamed Series
Bad Teacher & Bad Boss
Hotel O
Visit Clarissa Wild on Amazon for current titles.
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Music Playlist
“Heaven” by Majical Cloudz
“Can’t Pretend” by Tom Odell
“Jealous Sea” by Meg Myers
“I Can’t Go On” by Kaleo
“Everybody Knows” by Sigrid
“The Way Home” by Sleep Dealer
“I Run to You” by Missio
“Westworld - Main Title Theme” by Ramin Djawadi
“Stadium Pow Wow” by A Tribe Called Red
“The Animals” by The House of the Rising Sun
Prologue
Lillian
After
It’s finally time.
I grab one of the dull pencils from the tray and a piece of paper from the stack and place it down in front of me. Biting my lip, I stare wistfully at the sheet, wondering what I should write. If I should even write anything.
There are so many things I want to say, so much I have to explain, but none of the words in my head will suffice. She’ll never understand. She’s too innocent to know the truth.
So I opt for something else instead. Something familiar and loving, so she’ll know how much I care.
“Are you gonna start or what?” the woman across the shoddy table says while glaring at me.
I look up from my paper and gaze blankly ahead. “As soon as I know what to write.”
“You don’t get much time, y’know,” she adds, shrugging. “Suit yourself.”
I nod a few times. Advice is best not taken for granted, so I pick up the pencil and rub my lips together.
Dear Daisy,
You’ll probably never read this letter, but I want you to know that at least I tried. I’ve told your auntie Dana to hold onto the letters I send her until I get the chance to hand them to you myself. As much as I want to, I can’t be with you right now. But I promise it won’t be long. I’ll be with you again soon. Before you even know it.
I know you’ll be good. I know you’ll do great out there in the world.
And you know … I will find you again.
Love,
Mommy
Smiling, I read over the words again before my letter and those of all the other women next to me are taken by the guard as she passes us.
They’ll read the contents and decide whether it’s suitable to send.
This is how it always goes … here in prison.
There’s no choice to make, no autonomy whatsoever. Nothing but sleep, eat, work, and wait.
Wait until your time is up.
Until you can see your baby again.
But I knew the consequence when I did what I did. That I’d end up sacrificing precious time I could’ve spent with her. But it was the only choice I could make, and I’d do it again in a heartbeat if I had to.
It’s no one’s fault. Not mine or his.
Circumstances brought me here, and I accept that wholeheartedly.
Love … is what brought me here.
I made the ultimate sacrifice for my little girl.
For a man I couldn’t stop loving even when that same love ripped her away from me.
For both … I’d willingly hang.
* * *
Hanson
After
I park my green truck on the side of the road near the long, dry grass. Another truck is approaching not far up ahead, so I step out of the vehicle and shut my door. Tapping the top, I silently wait until it stops right in front of mine. The sun blocks the view as the guy steps out, but I can still make out a smile.
“And?”
“It worked,” Brandon says as he whisks an envelope from his back pocket. “You were right.”
“They wouldn’t follow you from her sister’s place,” I say as he walks toward me.
“I didn’t even see her. She just left a key on her porch and sent me to a PO box to get this.” He holds it out to me.
As I reach out to grasp the envelope, he maintains his hold, looking me straight in the eyes. “I’m doing this for you because I’m your friend, but—”
“I know,” I say, nodding. “I know what she sacrificed.”
“Good,” he says, licking his lips. Then he releases the envelope and turns around.
“Thanks,” I say as he walks back to his truck.
All I get is a quick glance and a hand going up in the air before he climbs back inside and drives off. But it’s enough to know our friendship is still alive, even after everything that happened recently.
Besides, I have other things to worry about now. There’s a whole world out there begging me to explore it.
It’s what she would’ve wanted me to do.
I bear the burden now to live a fulfilled and happy life because I owe it to her. To the woman who gave me my freedom back … in exchange for her own imprisonment.
Chapter One
Hanson
Present
I run through the thick fog, zigzagging through the woods, avoiding stumps and rocks as best as I can. I trained for this all these months, so I have to give it my all. I have nothing to lose.
Nothing will stop me from reaching my goal … Freedom.
I know I don’t deserve it, but damn, did I hunger for it.
And now I’m finally out here in the real world again.
This was unplanned and completely outrageous. I didn’t think I’d succeed, but now I don’t want to stop. The more I run, the bigger the grin on my face even though I know it’s wrong. The farther away I get, the bigger the taste for more. The outside world is waiting for me.
Despite my brain telling me to go back, to surrender, to fight this selfish desire, I can’t stop myself from putting one foot in front of the other and doing everything I can to stay out of their claws.
Even when I’m being chased and forced to run and swim for miles on end, I can’t give up.
The primal need inside me is too strong to ignore.
I must escape.
I have to see her.
* * *
Lillian
A few weeks later
The onions are strong, but they’re not making me cry. Maybe because I refuse to ever cry, not even for the onions. There’s only one exception … her.
I chop the onions into tiny pieces. They smell good today. Perfect for the pasta I’m making with homemade tomato basil sauce. A vegetarian dish with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. Daisy’s favorite.
I never used to like cooking much, but I do it with love for her. Especially when she gives me that sparkly eyed look when she peeks into the pot to see what I’m making. She grins and squeals. “Pasta! Yay!”
“Go set the table, honey,” I say, smiling back at her.
She tiptoes around the kitchen, trying to open the cabinets that are just out of reach, so I give her a hand by lifting her. “There you go.”
Her face is radiant as she grabs the plates and carries them to the table, so proud of every little thing she can do to help. It’s as though she’s catching up on every little thing she missed. It’s sweet, and it definitely reminds me of myself, always wanting to be a little more grown up than I was. Boy, do I miss those days with no work, no drama, and no bills to pay.
I sigh and dice
“Daisy! You left the water running,” I call out.
She doesn’t reply.
Then the screen slams shut.
I place down my knife and gaze outside when I notice her running through the grass. My eyes narrow. She’s chasing something … a paper plane.
My heart begins to palpitate.
There shouldn’t be a paper airplane here.
We live on a farm in the middle of nowhere. My nearest neighbor lives miles away.
Shit.
I drop everything and run after her, but as I exit the house, I stop dead in my tracks. A man in the distance captures my attention; his short black hair in stark contrast with the bright afternoon sun. The look on his square face dead serious as he stands there, his feet firmly planted on the soil.
Only his eyes follow her …
“Daisy!” My voice is primal. Like the call of a lioness whose cub is in danger.
“Look! A paper plane!” Daisy holds it up in the sky like some kind of trophy.
I want to rip it from her hands and shred it to pieces. Burn it to the ground. But I can’t take my eyes off her and neither can he.
“Come here, Daisy,” I say with a stern voice. It’s harsh enough to make the smile disappear from her face.
She comes to me slowly, but when she’s within arm’s reach, I grab her tight and hold her close to my body. I cling to her as if he could take her away at any moment. Maybe he could. Would he?
The mere thought makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
“Go inside,” I say, still glaring at the man standing on my property.
I can’t let him get any closer. I have to stand my ground.
However, the moment I release Daisy, and my eyes briefly follow her inside, he’s already taken five steps forward.
“Stop,” I say.
I’m not afraid. I’m not afraid.
I repeat that mantra over and over in my head—as if hearing it often enough will make me believe it—but my knees are buckling with each step he takes.
“Hi …” His voice is rough but smooth. Like a stone in a river sanded down by time.
What is he doing here? Stalking us?
“I just wanted to see you,” he says, taking a step toward me.
“Stay away,” I say, inching back.
I’m shaking like a leaf. I don’t want him to see, so I straighten my back and ball my fists, burying my nails in my skin.
The closer he gets, the weaker my knees feel, so I follow my instinct and grab my cell phone. I don’t think as I dial 911 and show him that I mean business.
“You don’t have to do that,” he says, holding up his hand.
“Yes, I do,” I bark, and I turn around and run back into the house. As the door slams shut, a woman picks up on the other end. “Hello, yes? I need the police.”
The woman asks for the reason, so I tell her a man on my property is refusing to leave. I’m in full panic mode now, running solely on adrenaline as I lock the door and close the windows.
However, as I look outside at the rustling high grass, I lower my phone.
He’s gone.
Chapter Two
Lillian
When the police arrive, he’s long gone. My heart has calmed down, but my mind hasn’t. And as the police officer approaches the door, my entire body feels constricted. As if I can’t breathe or move a limb.
“Hello, ma’am.” The police officer tips his hat. “You called for an intruder on your property?”
I nod, but I don’t feel like I’m even here. I feel as though I’m there off in the distance … with him.
I wonder where he went. If he’ll try to come back.
If I’d be able to resist when he does.
“Ma’am?” the police officer repeats.
“Um … yes, I did,” I mutter, trying to pull myself back together. “It was a homeless man, I think. But he’s gone now.” I clear my throat as the man narrows his eyes at me. He must think I’m losing my shit. A homeless man in the middle of nowhere? Yeah, right.
“You’re sure he’s gone?” he asks, cocking his head to peek inside. He’s probably trying to find out if I’m being forced to say that. Or maybe if I’m being held at gunpoint.
I wish I had that excuse. How pitiful.
“Yeah,” I reply casually as if it’s nothing.
“Ma’am, is there anything else I can do?” he asks, still eyeing me as if I’m hiding something. Or maybe he truly thinks I’m being held hostage.
“It’s fine. I’m fine. He’s gone. We’re fine.” I open the door. “See?”
He gazes around. “All right,” he says, nodding.
“Sorry I called,” I add. “I was a bit panicky, but we’re good now.”
“Don’t you worry about that, ma’am. We’ve got you covered.” He winks as he turns around. “But it’d better not be a prank call.”
“No, no,” I say, laughing it off like it’s no big deal even when it is.
As he walks off, the little voice inside my head wants to tell him to stop and turn around, but I don’t. Not until he’s gotten back into his car and driven off do I feel like I can breathe again.
I shut my eyes and let out a sigh, closing the door.
I don’t know why I didn’t tell that police officer the truth.
Maybe a part of me still believes there’s a possibility …
No.
I can’t ever think like that. Ever.
I turn around and immediately shriek. Daisy’s right in front of me. “Don’t sneak up on me like that, honey,” I say, breathing out a sigh of relief.
“Sorry,” she replies. “Who was that man?”
“A police officer,” I answer, smiling as I bend over. “He was just checking on us.”
“No, I mean the other man, Mommy.”
I blink a couple of times. My feet are frozen to the ground.
I swallow away the lump in my throat and look through the window, wondering if we’ll ever see him again. “No one, honey. No one at all.”
* * *
Hanson
“Next,” the cashier says, and I put down the sandwich, a newspaper, and a card.
It’s one with little purple stars on them and a pink moon, and on the inside, it makes a sound when it’s opened. It’s expensive but worth every penny.
“That’ll be seven thirty.”
I fish some coins out of my pocket and place them down. There goes all my money. Well, not all of it, but it still feels like an arm and a leg for the sandwich, a newspaper, and a card. I don’t make much these days. Not with my reputation. I gotta do the odd jobs—the random delivery jobs where you don’t even know what you’re carrying around—but they pay, so I do it. Gotta earn a living somehow.
The cashier snatches away my money as he looks at me with contempt.
They always do. They being everyone who’s not native.
I don’t mind it anymore because I’m used to it. I ignore them like they ignore me. It’s best that way.
I grab my stuff and am walking toward the exit when I notice an older woman with her hair tied in a knot and a strange yellow scarf staring at a newspaper. She turns her head, and our eyes lock. She blinks her eyes a couple of times, and then her face turns white as if she’s seen a ghost. One glance at the newspaper is all I need.
Fuck.
I rush out of the store, pulling up my zipper to hide at least my mouth inside my jacket. It’s not much, but it’ll have to do. I should buy a cap and sunglasses … and maybe a wig too.
I didn’t think they’d still be running my story after all this time, but I guess an escape never goes unnoticed. I don’t have any plans to get caught, though, so I quickly get inside my truck and slam the door shut, then start the engine.
