Sanctuary (RiffRaff Records Book 5) Read online

  “You like her? Maykin, I mean?”

  “I don’t know.” He finished his beer and ordered another. “Is Evie it for you? You in it for the long haul?”

  “Yeah, man, for sure. I know she has a hard road ahead of her, but…she’s mine. She’s felt like mine from the moment I made that first mark on her skin. I can’t explain it, and it doesn’t make any sense.”

  “I’m happy for you, bro.” He held his drink up and knocked it against mine. “Now will you go call the chick so you can stop obsessing and we can watch the rest of this game without talking about our feelings and shit?”

  “I will, I will. Let me give her a little more space though.” I laughed, holding my hands up in surrender. “In the meantime, I promise, no more feelings.”

  Bleu was my oldest friend, my best friend, and the fact that he cared about Evie meant the world to me. I felt like he was in our corner, like he had our backs. And with everything we still had to go through with Evie’s recovery, we needed all the support we could get.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Evie

  Maykin had to pretty much kick me out of the car when we arrived at the venue. I didn’t want to see these people, and I didn’t want to see Collin. But. It had to be done. I had to be rid of him. He was like a dark cloud hanging over my head on a sunny day.

  “You’ve got this, E.” Maykin slapped my ass. “If you need me, let me know.” She walked past me, heading straight for the bar, stopping to say hi to a few people on the way.

  I took a deep breath and put on my Evie James smile. The one that said, “Don’t fuck with me.” The one that said, “I’m sorry you’ll never be me.” I said hello to the people I would normally say hello to. And I ignored the people I’d normally ignore. Going through the motions sober was a little depressing. I was a stuck-up bitch.

  The ballroom at the Blue Diamond Country Club was dimly lit and smelled like the multitude of magnolias that were lining the tables and bars. We had money, and we liked to spend it. I’d worked closely with the florist to get the arrangements right. I’d met with a lighting specialist to make sure all pictures would come out looking flawless. Collin had overseen the food tastings, which made sense because I rarely ate. He’d told me that it was like a dry run for our engagement dinner. And I’d promptly popped a pill and fallen asleep.

  “You look stunning, princess.” Collin came up behind me, his hands on my waist and his mouth by the shell of my ear.

  “Thank you.” I stepped forward out of his grasp before turning to face him. “You do too.” I wasn’t blind, and Collin did fill out a tux nicely. But that was where my compliments would end. His mean streak made him unattractive.

  He took my chin in his hand, holding me tightly in place so he could kiss my lips. I held still, not wanting to make a scene before it was necessary. But I didn’t kiss him back. “I have something for you, princess.” He held his palm out, revealing a tiny blue pill.

  I shook my head, backing away slowly. “No. I don’t need it.” I’d already taken my pill for the day. I had a strict schedule that I was supposed to stick to. I’d done well for five days, and I wasn’t going to let Collin set me back.

  He scoffed. “We both know you do.” He grabbed my arms, hauling me into a dark corner. “Now take it.”

  “No.” I tried to shove past him. I’d planned to do this the easy way, the calm way. But he wasn’t really leaving me much choice. “Get out of my way, I’m leaving.”

  “Like fuck you are.” He pushed back, putting my back against the wall. “You’re co-chair and I’m the fucking president. You aren’t going to make either of us look bad by leaving now.”

  I wanted to laugh. Had there really been a time when I’d been able to pretend to give a shit about things like this? Co-chair? Really? Who gave a flying fuck? Had I ever? Because I certainly didn’t now. “We’re done, Collin.” I smiled happily. “Like, done done. And you can call my dad, you can go to the press, you can throw whatever kind of tantrum you want. I’m not playing this game anymore.” I moved to shove past him again and he grabbed my arm, his touch gentler than it usually was.

  “Princess, wait, please don’t go.” He guided me back in front of him, not using half the force I was accustomed to from him. “I’m sorry.”

  “You’re sorry?” Was he bipolar? Had that been his problem all along and I’d failed to notice because I was all high and stuff?

  He put his hands in his pockets, managing to look contrite for probably the first time in his life. “We’re terrible together, we’re toxic. You’re right, things need to end, for both our sakes.”

  “Uh. Okay?” Had I traveled to another dimension? Collin had never spoken to me in that soft, caring tone before. He and I were in a constant power struggle, a constant fight. We’d never had a real conversation in our whole time of knowing one another.

  “Can you please do me a favor though? Can you stay until the ceremony is over?” He got down, eye level with me. “Stay with me for a little bit longer and then I’ll have my driver take you wherever you want to go.”

  “Really?” Was I stupid to believe him? It wasn’t like he could hurt me here. We were surrounded by people. When he nodded, I let out a deep breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. “Yeah, I guess I could do that.”

  “Thank you.” He placed a kiss on my cheek and then took me by the elbow, leading me into the ballroom to mingle.

  My therapist had told me I couldn’t hide from my life, so maybe staying for a bit and being civil with Collin was actually the best thing for me.

  A few minutes later, I felt my cell vibrate in my clutch so I politely excused myself and headed into the lobby. I hit accept and found a quiet corner just as Nicky’s face appeared on the screen. “Hi.”

  “Hi.” I bit my bottom lip to keep my smile somewhat in check. “You couldn’t go more than two hours without seeing my face? Is that your limit?”

  “I guess so.” His smile matched mine. I was guessing we looked like two dopey fools. “How’s it going? Everything okay?”

  He was checking up on me. He was worried that I’d fall into old habits. But I wouldn’t, I didn’t want to. I wanted him. I wanted the life we were slowly creating. I wanted to be healthy and whole. I wanted so much more for myself than I’d ever realized. “I’m good, I promise.” I glanced at the clock over the front desk. “The ceremony should start any minute, and then I’m out of here.”

  “Have you talked to Collin?” The way Nicky said his name, it was almost like it pained him.

  I nodded. “I did, and, well—”

  “Princess, come on, we’re about to start.” Suddenly Collin was in the shot, his mouth next to my ear and his hand on my elbow.

  “Yeah. Seems like you’re just fine.” Before I could protest or try to explain, Nick hung up the phone.

  I pulled out of Collin’s grasp. “What the fuck is your problem?” I’d told him we were through.

  “You said you’d finish this event, and you will.” He grabbed my hand, holding it tightly in his. “As soon as we’re done here you can call your bad-boy phase back and let him know I was only keeping up appearances.” He squeezed my hand even tighter. “Until then, you play your part.”

  I hated that Nicky was thinking the worst. It made me sick to my stomach. But this would be easier if I simply did what I said I would and got out of here as soon as possible. After that, Collin would be a non-issue in our lives.

  Nicky would understand once I had a chance to explain.

  We’d be fine.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Evie

  I was sitting at a round table near the raised stage and podium. Maykin was across from me, some random dude at her side. Makin didn’t really date, but she always had guys clamoring to take her to events like this one. I didn’t know his name, but his face was familiar, which meant he was probably in Collin’s fraternity.

  “Here. You look pale.” Collin handed me the glass of water sitting in front of me.
“We’re almost done, princess.”

  I took a few gulps, the cool liquid helping my dry throat. I was getting antsy, feeling edgy. This was usually the part in the day when my pills wore off and I didn’t quit know how to handle it. This was also the part of the day when Nicky would bend me over his bed, or take me to the shop to add to my ever-growing mandala tattoo. But he wasn’t here right now. He couldn’t swoop in and save me.

  I took deep breaths, trying to calm myself down. The former frat president was speaking about duty and honor. He was blowing smoke up his own ass and acting like he was the former president of the United States, not the Pike house. The lights behind him started to blur a little, so I blinked a few times, getting my vision back to right.

  Maybe I was dehydrated after all. I drank the rest of my water, clapping politely when he announced Collin as his successor. I let him kiss my cheek, and I smiled as he took the stage. I played my part, and now I was done.

  I closed my eyes, reveling in the feeling for a moment. When I opened them, everything was blurry again. My head was swimming a little, and I was starting to feel woozy. Were these all side effects of weaning off the Adderall? Had I not eaten enough? Nicky and I typically ate dinner around seven o’clock, and the last time I’d checked the clock it was almost eight. I’d ask the driver to pull through What-a-Burger on the way home.

  Everyone was clapping again, so I joined along. What were we clapping for this time? Oh right, Collin was done talking about himself and his vision. He was done, which meant I could leave. I grabbed my clutch off the table and got to my feet. I held on to the back of the chair, keeping myself steady and I turned toward the row of double doors leading to my freedom.

  “E? You okay?”

  I could hear Maykin behind me, but I knew doing another circle to answer her would make me fall down. I sent her a wave and focused on the exit.

  “I’ve got you, princess.” Collin took my elbow, helping me out of the room. The bright lights of the lobby were almost too much to handle. I shielded my eyes from the glare. “You okay?”

  His tone was one of concern, like he was genuinely worried about me. I shook my head, spotting the bathroom sign across the foyer. “I feel like I’m going to be sick.” I barely made it through the stall doors before I was on my knees, throwing up everything I’d eaten that day. I was so dizzy, so out of it.

  “Princess? Where are you?”

  My skin started to crawl. I didn’t want Collin anywhere near me. I wanted Nicky to come get me. I wanted him to rub circles on my back. Why had I ever come here? I reached for my purse but right before I could grab it, it flew away from me. Was I hallucinating?

  “Were you planning on calling the tattooed trash to come save you?” Collin was standing over me, his voice back to its usual snarl. “I told you that you could leave when we were done, princess.”

  I retched again, crying the whole time. “We are done.” My voice sounded odd, like it was coming from so far away.

  “You think I’d let you off that easy? After all this time, all the shit you put me through?” He grabbed me by the hair, pulling me up and then shoving me back down. I hit my head on the porcelain toilet seat, making me dizzier than I already was. “You had me trailing behind you like a fucking puppy dog, you disappeared for days at a time, you stopped letting me fuck you weeks ago.”

  I tried to stand, but my legs gave out and I fell to my knees. There was blood on the toilet from my head, and blood on the floor from my fall. I felt so sick, and so dizzy. I knew I was crying. I could hear my sobs. But when I tried to scream, nothing came out.

  “You owe me one last thing, princess, and I’m going to take it whether you want me to or not.” I felt Collin’s hands rip the back of my dress. And I knew then that he’d drugged me. He’d tried to force me to take that pill earlier, and when I’d refused and broke up with him, he’d put something in my drink. He wasn’t bipolar; he was fucking insane. “It’s okay, though, really it is. You let that trash touch you? I was about through with you anyway. The idea of Evie James is much more appealing than the real thing.” His hand connected with my ass. “This body though?” He did it again. “I’ve missed this.”

  I did everything I could to roll over. I tried so hard to move my arms. But it was no use; it was like my muscles were no longer working. This was happening to me, and there was nothing I could do to stop it. I’d trusted Collin, even when I knew I shouldn’t have. I surrounded myself with horrible people and terrible habits, and this was the price I was going to pay.

  I wasn’t scared. I knew that I’d survive, I knew that I would never give him the satisfaction of breaking me.

  Collin’s hand went around my throat, tightening until I could barely breathe, while his dick pressed against my core. I closed my eyes, willing myself to stop crying.

  And then suddenly, I was free.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Nick

  There was blood everywhere, and at this point I couldn’t tell what was Evie’s and what was Collin’s. Everything on my hands was his, and everything on the bathroom floor was hers? That couldn’t be right; the small white tiles were covered in red.

  Bleu had Collin pressed against the wall, which was where he’d stuck him after he’d pulled me off. I was going to kill him. In that moment when I’d walked in and found him trying to rape my broken and bleeding girlfriend, I’d wanted to kill him.

  I scooped my girl up in my arms and sat on the floor, holding her against my chest. “It’s okay, little bird, I’m right here.” I stroked her hair and held her while I cried silent tears. Her movements were slow, like her limbs felt heavy.

  I knew the cops were on their way, and an ambulance. I could vaguely recall Bleu yelling at Maykin to call 911.

  “Get your hands off of me. Do you have any idea who my father is?”

  “For fuck’s sake, do you people really talk like that?” Bleu punched Collin in the gut, punishing him for what he did to Evie, as well as for being such a douche bag.

  Evie was starting to shake, like she was going into shock. I held her tighter, putting my lips against her forehead. “We’re going to get you some help. We’re going to get you out of here.”

  “What’d you give her?” Bleu slammed her attacker’s head against the tiled walls. “What.” Slam. “Did.” Slam. “You.” Slam. “Give her?” Slam, for good measure.

  “Nothing she hasn’t taken before.” Collin looked down at her, and I barely stifled the urge to rip out his eyeballs. “This time I added a special little friend to help out.” He shrugged. “Thanks to whichever one of you decided to dry her out. Her tolerance is shit.” Instantly, Collin fell to his knees, screaming in pain.

  “I’ve never liked him” Maykin was standing over him after getting down to his level and punching him square in the balls. She had a bottle of pills in her hand, which she shook in front of his face. “Found these in your jacket. Oddly enough, one of your little lackeys was gonna throw them away. Weird right?” She slipped them into his shirt pocket, patting it harshly. “There you go. I know how much you love your pills.”

  “I think I’m fucking in love.”

  Maykin winked at Bleu and then knelt down beside Evie. “How’s our girl doing?” She brushed the hair back from her face. “The ambulance should be here any second, okay?” After Evie managed a small nod, Maykin sat down beside me, resting her head on my shoulder and holding onto Evie’s hand.

  I’d been on my way to the hotel already. Bleu was with me because he wanted to see Maykin, whether he admitted it or not. I was mad, and I didn’t want Evie with Collin any longer than she had to be. I’d planned to walk in there, guns blazing, so to speak, and demand she come home with me. I’d been about two blocks away when Maykin had called. She said Evie seemed off, pale and little disoriented.

  No lie, for a brief moment I thought she’d taken something on purpose. I thought she’d come here and been surrounded by her old life…by her dealer. And she’d caved. She’d taken the easy
way out. But when the one of the hotel staff told me they saw a girl matching Evie’s description go into the restroom with some guy, I knew something was wrong.

  Evie hadn’t wanted to Collin to touch her when she was loaded out of her mind, she sure as fuck wouldn’t want him to touch her now.

  I’ll never forget the scene I walked in on. I’ll never forget the blood and the tears on her face. I’ll never forget his hands on her body or his tight grip around her throat.

  I kissed her hair, hearing the sirens in the background. “Okay, little bird, it’s time to go.” She grabbed onto my shirt, almost crawling up my body. “Shhh…I’m not leaving. I’ll be with you every step of the way.”

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Nick

  Evie was in a hospital bed, ten stitches in her head, five in one knee and four in the other, and a slight concussion. They’d drawn blood, they’d taken pictures of the bruises on her body, the bruises on her neck. She’d eaten Jell-O; all they had was grape and she’d gagged the whole time.

  “Ms. James, the police are here, they’d like to ask you a few questions.”

  She looked at me and I sent her an encouraging smile. She had nothing to hide, nothing to be ashamed of. She’d done not one thing wrong.

  “O-okay.” She took a deep, shaky breath. And I was so damn proud of her.

  “Hello, Ms. James. I’m Detective Salter and this is my partner Detective Jinx.” The older man with salt-and-pepper hair pulled out an old-school memo book, flipping it open and pulling a pen from his inside pocket. “I know you’ve been through a lot tonight, but we need to ask you a few questions.”

  His partner, a younger female with a black ponytail, took a step forward. “Would you be more comfortable if we spoke alone?” She glanced to me then back to Evie.