Episode 110

Episode 110

A Few Minutes Too Late

MAIA

"Mom, we have to talk. We don't have much time." I ushered my mother into a pew. I waved at Zach and Maisie, then introduced myself. "I'm not sure if you remember me, but I'm your older sister, Maia."

"Mom told us all about you over the years. How you got away and started a new life," Zach mumbled.

"It took a while, but yeah, I finally found my true path," I glanced at Rhodes, who smiled gently.

"Are you here to help us?" Maisie asked so softly I could barely hear her.

"That's exactly what I'm here to do. Get you all out of Colorado and away from Damon and Derrick," I shared.

Mom shook her head, tears streaming down her cheeks. "It won't work. He'll find us. No matter where we go, he'll come for us, and he'll kill everyone before he allows us to escape for good. All the deputies at the marshal's office won't do anything. They believe his lies. I've tried…I've tried so many times. You have to leave," she pleaded. "He won't come for you because you're not his blood. It's the only reason you were able to get away all those years ago."

"You mean after I came clean about Derrick sexually assaulting me. I was beaten and thrown out of the house. I was a child, Mom. You have no idea the things I had to do and say to survive. Terrified every day. Looking over my shoulder, waiting for one of them to pop up out of nowhere. But I'm finally here with backup. Rhodes would never let anything happen to any of you," I vowed.

"Are you really taking us away? For good?" Zach scratched at his hand where the cast cut across his palm.

"That's the plan. If we leave now, he won‘t be able to stop us. Rhodes has a private jet at the airport."

"A private jet…" Zach's eyes bulged. "Who are you?"

Rhodes chuckled and put a hand on my brother's shoulder. "I hope to be seen as your brother-in-law very soon. But first, we have to get you all out of here and away from that maniac."

My mother jerked her head, her entire body shivering. "It won't work. He'll just find us," she rattled through her shivers.

I put my arm around her shoulders and rubbed her arm. "Mom, my fiancé is obscenely rich. He has a home in California that is like Fort Knox. Gated. Guarded at the front and a security team crawling the perimeter."

She shrugged. "Doesn't matter. He'll find a way. Besides, he'll demand custody of his children."

"Excuse me for being insensitive or blunt, Mrs. Burke," Rhodes interrupted. "Based on the kids' and your medical files, and written testimony by each of you of the repeated abuse, no impartial judge in Colorado is going to allow him anything. And I assure you we'll demand an impartial judge."

"I don't believe it. I can't even begin to hope that we can escape." She closed her eyes. "He'll eventually find us. He'll kill us all." She repeated it like a broken record. Something she'd likely been telling herself for years.

I cupped her cheeks, and she opened her teary eyes. "Mom. We won't know unless we try. Rhodes and I have the means to take care of all of you for the rest of your lives. You can move into his three-bedroom guesthouse and have your own space. You can heal. The kids can go to school and have friends. Live a life where they're not being hurt."

She still trembled within my grasp and groaned as though pained. "I don't know…I just don't know…"

Then my sister, who was as pale as a ghost, gaunt and rail thin reached out and grabbed our mother's hand.

"M-Mom…p-please. I can't sleep. I can't eat. Derrick comes for me…" She made a gagging sound.

Zach was by her side in an instant. "I told you, I won't let him in your room again," he growled.

"And what did that do?" Maisie spat. "It earned you a black eye, split lip, and a broken wrist. Neither one of them will stop the things they do," she croaked.

"That's it, we have to go," Rhodes demanded, his voice tight, his teeth clenched. "I'll not hear another word of what these men are capable of. None of that is ever happening again."

"If we're going to do this we have to go home first. Grab our things," Mom whispered.

"With all due respect, ma'am, I can buy you a department store full of essentials. We really need to leave Colorado as fast as possible and let my lawyers do their jobs to ensure your continued safety."

My mother stood up. "You don't understand. We have to go home!" she screeched and clawed at her own arms.

"Why? What's so important that can't be replaced?" I asked gently.

"I need to go home," she demanded. "And then, we'll go with you. We'll try." She reached out to Maisie and then to Zach, tucking them close. "I have to try for all of you." She nodded as though convincing herself.

"Fine," Rhodes growled, tension vibrating off the man in waves. "Let's go."

* * * *

We arrived within fifteen minutes of leaving the funeral home. Rhodes made the apology to the funeral director, claiming we had an emergency and to continue as planned with the few people in attendance.

Mom sobbed all the way to the car and all throughout the ride there, grief and fear taking its toll.

My stomach tightened painfully as I stared at the one-story home in the quiet suburban neighborhood. Pretty little flowers dotted the path leading to the stairs up to the front door. It was all to keep up with the Joneses. A perfect little lie for everyone to believe that the local Chief Marshal, his pretty wife, and kids all lived happily here together.

"We have to hurry. Grab whatever you can. We need to leave in the next ten minutes," Rhodes barked.

Mom and my siblings raced into the house. I wanted to help but was too afraid to go in, old demons wreaking havoc with my emotions.

"Do you want to wait out here?" Rhodes asked. "I can help your family gather what's necessary."

I nodded. "I…I…just can't go in there."

Rhodes cupped my cheek and then kissed my lips. "I've got this. You wait here. We'll be done in ten minutes." He turned to two of the four guards that came with us. We had divided into two blacked-out SUVs. "You guys check around back and keep watch. One of you with me inside the house, and the other out front, keeping an eye on Maia. Call out if you see anything or anyone approach."

"Will do, sir." The one in charge of the rest answered then pointed to positions for each man as Rhodes instructed.

I was left with the serious, big, beefy looking dude who didn't speak often. He wore a buzz cut, black sunglasses and a scowl. If I didn't know he was in our security detail, I'd be terrified of him.

Pulling up my phone, I leaned against the SUV and called Emily.

She answered on the first ring, sadness in her tone. "Hey."

"What's the matter?" I asked instantly.

She waited several seconds before saying anything, but I could hear her sniffling.

"Emily, you're freaking me out," I snapped. "What's going on?"

"Mom left," she whispered.

"She left?" I pushed off the car and started to walk, moving away from the car and down the path a bit. "Where did she go?"

"Some job, or something." The sorrow in her voice struck like a fist to the heart. "Said it was an opportunity of a lifetime that she couldn't pass up," she croaked.

"Oh honey, I'm so sorry." I closed my eyes and gritted my teeth. That woman…there was a special place in hell for women like her.

"It's my fault. I believed that maybe,"—she sniffled—"just maybe she actually wanted to get to know me better. Be a part of my life. But nooooooo. Not when some designer, or photographer, or magazine or whatever comes along. Why are they always more important than me? Than her own kid?"

I could hear her crying, and my entire body became white hot. I wanted to strangle that woman so badly. Instead, I breathed in through my nose and out my mouth, calming myself down so that I could handle my devastated stepdaughter like an adult. My fury could wait.

"Em, sometimes people make really bad decisions. Your mom just made one. That's on her, and she'll have to suffer the consequences of her actions. All your dad and I have been able to think about is picking up my family so we could come back to you, because we love and miss you every second we're gone."

"You do?" she blubbered.

"Baby girl, your dad is a mess without you. He hates that we had to make this quick trip, but we plan to get on a plane tonight and come home. We're bringing my mother and two siblings with us."

"I'll get to meet your family?" she asked, a bit more chipper.

"Yeah, we're going to all be together. One big happy family. Very soon. And we'll be planning the wedding, and of course, you're going to be in the wedding."

"Really? As a real bridesmaid? Not just the flower girl?"

I chuckled. "That's right. And of course, I'll need your help with every detail, if you're interested…"

"Oh my god! I get to help plan your wedding and be a bridesmaid? My friends are never going to believe how cool this is."

"I'm glad, honey. Now you start looking online for dresses and keep a list of all the ones you like. We'll look at them when we get home. Deal?"

"I'm so excited!"

"I'm glad, Em." I smiled as I stared at my feet. "We will deal with your mother when we return, but are you okay? Dad's busy right this moment, but I could have him call you when we're on the plane."

"Don't bother, I'm fine," she gushed, her mother's drama pushed into a corner while this new shiny thing had her attention. "I have so much to research about weddings! Love you, Maia. Can't wait for you guys to get home."

I shook my head and toed the ground, my phone pressed tightly to my ear so I could enjoy her happiness for a moment.

"Okay Em. I'm going to let you go. Love you too. See you soon."

"Bye!" she said and hung up.

Seemingly out of nowhere, a pair of dress shoes appeared on the ground in front of me. I moved to glance up and stared straight into the eyes of my worst enemy.

Derrick.

On my chest, I felt something hard and circular prodding me.

A gun.

"Scream and you die right here," Derrick grimaced. "Now be a good girl and start walking." He nudged me with the gun, gesturing for me to cross the street.

I looked over my shoulder as I moved forward, the gun now pointed at my head from behind. On the ground near the SUV about ten yards from where I'd been walking, I saw the big beefy security guard knocked out cold. His chest was still moving thankfully.

"Derrick, what are you doing?" I snarled even though my hands shook, and fear flooded my veins.

"What I should have done a long, long time ago. Taking care of our family's little problem."

"Which is what?" I glanced over my shoulder at the house where Rhodes was, hoping another of the guards might notice me missing or their colleague on the ground. No such luck.

"Move, you little slut. Even now in that dress. Showing your tits and legs off like you always did. Asking to be fucked."

"I'm wearing a perfectly respectable dress for a funeral, you asshole. It's men like you that think they can take whatever they want just because they are men," I bit out.

"Women are the weaker sex," he snapped. "Your kind are here only to serve us. Any propaganda otherwise is nonsense."

"You're so fucked up in the head. The only way you can get anyone into your bed is by force. Is that what gets you off? Assaulting your sisters?"

"That space between your legs is just a hole to fuck, which I'm about to do before I put a bullet right between your eyes and solve all our problems for good." He pushed me through the back gate of what I assumed was his house.

Over my dead body would that man touch me again.

I searched the area for a weapon of any kind. Leaning against the wall near the back door was a rake. I knew if he got me into that house, I'd never make it out alive.

"Why are you doing all this? I've never understood why," I asked as we got closer to the door and the rake.

"Because I can." He laughed in the menacing tone that had filled my nightmares for almost a decade. "Get in the fucking house!" he barked.

I moved forward but pretended to trip, my hand flying out and catching the rake by the long handle. I spun around, metal prong side facing up and dragged it across his face.

He screamed like a stuck pig, the gun flying as his hands went to his face. I shoved him aside, but his foot caught mine and we both fell to the ground, me face first, scrambling for the gun. I'd just gotten my hands on it when his body landed on top of mine.

"You fucking bitch!" he roared, punching me with one hand while reaching for the gun with the other.

Blinding pain burst over my cheekbone and eye socket where he landed the first punch.

I just barely got my fingers on the weapon when I heard a gunshot ring out from behind us. We both spun to the side and rolled, grappling for the firearm. Big Beefy must have come to and found us because he had his own gun pointed at the sky, firing a warning as he barreled toward us.

"Let her go!" he demanded, another shot being fired in the air, but Derrick didn't stop. He punched me so hard in the nose I saw stars. But I'd gained some ground and had his body squeezed between my thighs. I may have even heard one of his ribs crack as I used all the strength in my legs to hurt him. Derrick cried out as he was suddenly lifted off of me.

I managed to rip the gun from his hold when his body was lifted, and I pointed it at him.

"You'll never hurt me, my sister, or another woman ever again." I stared straight into his evil eyes as he smiled.

Then I shot him three times straight in the chest. Both the guard and Derrick fell back, the guard rolling away. He ambled up, checked his own chest, patting at his bulletproof vest, and then came over to me and held out his hand.

I was still pointing the gun, my fingers on the trigger, my body poised to kill. Reality hadn't quiet caught up to me yet.

"Give me the gun, Maia," he said gently. "It's over now," Big Beefy claimed.

I shook my head. "Is he dead? If he's not dead, it's not over."

He wiggled his fingers. "Give me the gun, Maia."

I did as he ordered and let him help me up. My entire body hurt as blood poured from my nose, which I suspected was broken. My cheek was also blazing hot and swollen. My back felt ripped to shreds because we'd fallen on a gravel path as we'd fought.

"Are you going to have me arrested?" I asked as I leaned against Big Beefy and let him lead me out of Derrick's backyard.

"For what? I was attacked by the same man that held you at gunpoint and then threatened to kill you right before you got the gun and shot him. Looked to me like self-defense…"

When we exited the side gate from Derrick's house we were surrounded by cops.

Rhodes was on the ground, his hands cuffed behind his back.

* * * *

Ten minutes earlier….

RHODES

"Grab everything you need quickly," I pleaded, not wanting to scare them by shouting.

The three of them scattered to their rooms as I looked out the windows. Maia was on the phone walking in front of the house, her guard, Buddy, scanning the environment as expected.

I moved through the house to check on her mom and siblings.

Maisie had a bag already sitting on her bed. She was putting on a hooded coat. "I'm ready."

"How did you do that so fast?" I pointed at the large bag.

"I was waiting for my chance to run away. Everything I love is already in here. I just couldn't leave my brother…" she admitted, her eyes going to the floor.

I walked over to her and tipped her head up with a single finger while still keeping my distance. "That was very smart of you. And very courageous."

"But I didn't go and then last year…" she gulped.

"Hey now. You have done nothing wrong. And you're about to embark on a whole new life. One where you're safe…"

"And my brother and mother too?" she asked.

I nodded, swallowing down the bile that threatened to make me sick.

"Yeah, I'm going to make sure you're all safe."

"Thank you, Mr. Davenport," she said to the ground.

"You're welcome, Maisie. But you can call me, Rhodes. Seeing as I'm going to be family when I marry your sister."

"Maia's my hero," she whispered.

I smiled and dipped my head so I could look her in the eyes. "Mine too, sweetheart. Mine too."

Zach stumbled down the hallway with a duffle bag stuffed full and a backpack.

"Good. Run out front and get into the car with your sister. I'll help your mother," I instructed the teens.

The kids took off toward the front of the house. The guard that was inside was nowhere to be seen. He must have gone out front or checked with his team out back.

"Mrs. Burke!" I called out as I made my way to the back of the house.

She was in her bedroom trying to open a large safe.

"What are you doing? We have to go."

"Not without evidence. It's the only way…"

"What are you talking about?"

"He keeps videos of the women he assaults. Including me. He beats me with a camera on and then assaults me sexually. I've seen him watching the tapes. They are here. In here!" She smacked the side of the large safe.

"Do you know the code?"

"I know the first three numbers are 326 but I don't know the last two!" she cried.

"It doesn't matter, we'll deal with him after we get you all safe," I promised.

She shook her head. "No! I'll never be able to breathe fresh air unless he's behind bars or dead! We need the proof!" She kept typing in the numbers. "Think Lena, what does he love more than anything else?"

"Himself," I grated sarcastically.

Her eyes widened. "On the phone, what letters represent the three and the two?"

"Uh, DEF and ABC."

"And the 6?" she asked.

I did the alphabet quickly in my head and related them to the numbers on a phone. "MNO."

"Oh my god! I'm so stupid!" She typed in the 326 and then 66. "D-A-M-O-N" she said out loud. Then the safe clicked and popped open. Of course the number 666 would coincide with the name Damon.

Inside there was money, guns, ammo, files, and a box filled with individual flash drives, each with a woman's name taped across it. She grabbed the box and nothing else.

"Now I'm ready to go," she said as a gunshot blasted from somewhere outside. She spun around and went as white as a ghost. "Watch out!" she screamed.

I shifted to the side just barely avoiding being clobbered by Damon's gun. His arm came down on my forearm and I grunted, a shot going off and the bullet slamming into the wall across from us.

Lena screamed and ducked as I pushed forward and grabbed his wrist that held the gun. He rammed against me like a bull. I braced for the hit and punched him as hard as I could before we both fell to the bed.

At some point, he must have dropped the gun because his hands locked around my neck and squeezed, his heavy body pinning me to the mattress, making it almost impossible for me to move. I'd never felt anything so painful in my life. Still, I thrashed and kicked, punching him wherever I could get a hit in until he loosened his hold. Just as I was about to hit him again, Lena picked up the lamp on the end table and smashed it over her husband's head, knocking him out.

I shoved him off of me.

"Are you okay?" I asked as she stared down at her husband's limp body, blood spurting from a gash in his head.

Her entire body shook. She was clearly going into shock. Then we were both jolted by another gunshot blast going off outside.

"Fuck! Maia!" I roared and ran toward the front of the house.

A few county marshal's office vehicles rolled up, officers pouring out and standing behind their open car doors with their guns drawn and pointed… at me .

I instantly put my hands up as Lena ran to her children across the lawn.

"Get on your knees!" one of the deputies demanded.

I complied as we heard a series of gunshots going off across the way at the house listed in my paperwork as Derrick's. And I knew if Damon had come after us, Derrick certainly went after Maia.

"My fiancée! He has her!" I pointed to Derrick's house across the street, fear and uncertainty plaguing me. "Please, help her!" I begged.

"Face to the ground, now!" A marshal commanded, not a cop from a neighboring city, as I'd hoped, when I'd made the call on our way over here. I'd forwarded the information Bruno's team had gathered on Damon and Derrick to a local detective in the bigger city a couple towns over. They hadn't made it in time.

I was so fucked as one of Damon's deputies pointed his gun at me, cuffs already dangling from his fingers as he approached.

I didn't resist, even though my body and heart wanted to run across the street. That would only get me killed.

The marshal came up behind me and put my hands in cuffs and held me down. "Stay there!"

"Please help my fiancée. She's over there!" I said right as I heard Maia scream, "Rhodes!"

I shifted my face on the grass toward where I heard her voice and saw Buddy helping her cross the street. Blood was pouring down her swollen face.

"You have the wrong man!" she cried.

Before she could reach me, another gunshot went off.

I watched it all as if in slow motion.

Her stepfather stumbling out of the house, gun raised.

He fired.

"No!" I roared as I watched Maia's mother slump to the ground. She had used her body to shield her children.

Another shot went off, but Buddy had already put himself between Maia and Damon. His big body convulsed, as the bullet tore into his back. Maia tried to hold him as they both fell to the grass.

"Hold your fire!" The marshal that was closest to me hollered, pointing the gun at Damon. "Sir, what are you doing? Hold your fire now!" he demanded of his own boss.

That's when the local cops from the nearby city finally rolled up to the scene as planned… A few minutes too late.