Chapter Eleven
Matthias Delgado
A door slams and I hear a woman scream. It doesn't mean much in this neighborhood, but I'm instantly pulled back out of the memory. I stare at the house Kaelie went into and wait another sixty seconds before getting out of my truck. I know she told me to wait for her, but I'm way too paranoid to stay in the truck.
Walking across the lawn I make sure to take in my surroundings, take in anything that could be important. Once I reach the door, I hear people talking inside. Standing completely still, I try to listen to what they are saying.
"Don't hurt her." This voice sounds like it belongs to an older woman.
"Don't tell me what to do!" I know this voice, but I can't immediately place it.
I hear some scuffling and then a baby starts crying. What the fuck is going on here? Trying the door, I find it unlocked and slowly make my way inside. My father is always going on about the importance of me carrying my damn gun. How I need to always be aware of my surroundings and be prepared and capable of protecting myself and my loved ones. He would kick my ass if he saw me right now.
Glancing into the kitchen I see Kaelie lying on the floor, unconscious. There's blood on her forehead. I want to run to her, check that she is okay, but I hear my father's voice in the back of my mind. "Where is the threat?"
Scanning the rest of the kitchen I see an older version of Kaelie sitting at a small table in the breakfast nook, holding an infant to her chest. She looks terrified as she stares at the last person I expected to find here—Amber. She has a gun as she paces back and forth.
"What are you going to do now?" the woman asks.
"I'm going to wait for that little whore to wake up and tell me the truth. And then I'm going to shoot all three of you," Amber replies without an ounce of emotion.
Kaelie stirs on the ground, and I watch in horror as she sits up. It takes her a moment to realize where she is before she jumps to her feet. Without an ounce of visible fear, she walks over to the older woman and takes the child from her. She holds the little body tightly and coos soft words until the crying stops before she faces Amber.
"What do you want? What could you possibly get from terrorizing my family?" she asks.
"As soon as Matthias joins us, we can get started."
Fuck. I didn't know she had seen me.
"Why would Matthias…" Kaelie starts to ask but I step into the kitchen.
She stares at me, fear clear for everyone to see. I smile at her, trying to reassure her.
"What are you doing, Amber?" I ask when I face her.
She looks like hell. Like she hasn't slept in days. Her eyes are sunken, and her clothes are dirty. Shit. She's been using and I'm sure it's more than marijuana this time.
"I'm here to set things right. It's time for everyone to see Kaelie for who she really is." She waves the gun around the room and we all duck down. "I've lost everything I have ever loved to the whoring females in the Carter family and the world needs to know it. You need to know it."
She points the gun at me, and I remain completely still. "I know everything," I say calmly.
"Everything?" she asks with malice.
"I know everything I need to know."
"I followed you." She turns her attention to Kaelie once more. "I saw you go into his house and come out hours later. I knew you were just like your dirty fucking mother!"
"She is my tutor. I needed help," I cut in.
"Don't fucking lie to me!"
****
Kaelie Carter
My heart is about to beat right out of my fucking chest. I hold Ronin closer to my chest and pray that he will be safe from this insanity.
"He isn't lying, Amber. He pays me to help him with his classwork."
"Clearly," Amber says loudly, "the truth isn't important to the two of you. But I know more than you think I do. I know you were fucking him when my mom died, I see the way he looks at you, I know it all."
"Please don't," I beg Amber with a sob. She doesn't care about the consequences of her actions and just continues her rant. "I didn't know he was the guy you were getting engaged to when we met."
"Have you met him yet? I haven't seen you here before?" She directs her question at Matthias, changing the topic and ignoring my words.
"It's my first time here," he replies. "And it doesn't matter if she has a man in her life. I don't need to meet him because she isn't my woman."
Amber laughs hysterically as tears pour down my face. "She only has one man in her life. His name is Ronin and he just turned one."
I watch Matthias as he takes in the words she just said. It takes a moment before his gaze lands on my son. Our son. At first, he looks confused but soon fury is the predominant emotion visible.
"I'm sorry," the words leave me in a whisper.
"You've been coming to my house for weeks and you never thought to mention anything?"
My heart hurts. I was working up the courage to tell him. Things between us were getting better, we were even semi-friendly with each other. Now Amber has ruined any chance I might have had of getting things on the right foot with us.
"I was going to tell you."
"When? Were you waiting for him to graduate from high school?" His voice gets louder with every word.
My grandmama watches all of us closely, not saying a word. Amber is grinning like a loon at the fact that Matthias is now pissed at me instead of her.
"Matty," Amber croons. I see the flash of irritation before he turns to her. "If we get rid of them all, you and I can just continue like the last two years never happened. We can get rid of my dad and his whore too, and then we will be in charge."
The insanity of her words hit me, and I want to laugh at the idea of it alone.
"Can you really forgive me?" Matthias asks and all hope falls away.
His anger at me for lying is driving him now. He isn't thinking clearly and letting her lead him down the road to destruction. I knew he would be mad, livid even, it's completely understandable. But this is so much more than I ever thought would happen. My greatest fear was having to fight for custody of my son, and now I have to fight for our lives.
"You can't be serious!" I cry out. Ronin stirs in my arms and starts to cry once more.
I see the pain etched across his face before he masks it, turning back to Amber. She watches us both closely before answering him. Maybe I misread the situation and he is trying to buy us some time?
"If you kill her and the little brat…"
"Wait," Grandmama says but Amber silences her as she points the gun at her.
"Amber." Matthias is using his sultry voice, one I know well, but she looks surprised to hear it. "If you promise you will forgive me, I can do whatever you need me to do."
Amber smiles victoriously and for a moment I feel like I'm dying inside before all hell breaks loose.