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Chapter 22
Brian's
eyes narrowed, and he had to take several seconds to control his voice. "Who
is that?"
Taylor seemed almost as upset as he was, and April, whose lack of any expression
at all showed how stunned she was. Nick kept glancing back at the beach house,
where the two had disappeared. Howie, AJ, and Kevin all exchanged weary looks.
There was a moment in which no one said anything. Then Taylor answered slowly,
"That's Rob Kiender, Sierra's old boyfriend." She looked at April.
"I don't know what he's doing here. Or even how he found her, for that
matter."
"How he found her? What's this all about?" Kevin couldn't understand
what was going on, and he was pretty sure no one else did either.
Taylor sighed. "They went out for about a year. I don't know why she never
left him, let's just say he's not the nicest person."
"Yeah, I think I got that impression rather quickly." As he spoke,
Nick looked at the house again.
"What is she doing up there with him?" Brian's jaw muscles began to
flex and fury filled his voice. "And what right does he have to come in
here and take her away like that? Am I the only one that saw her shaking when
he talked?"
Taylor cleared her throat, and spoke. "Brian, she's fine. They're just
talking, Sierra's probably telling him to leave right now."
? ? ?
Rob turned the security lock, and fixed the chain on the door.
"We want our privacy, don't we darling?" His voice was pleasant, loving,
and sent ice sliding up and down her spine.
"How did you find me?"
"I have my ways, Sierra. You know that." He grinned, drawing the curtains
shut, closing out the light. "Now tell me, why would you try to hide from
me? Didn't I tell you I'd always find you?"
"Rob, I'm not going back with you. Get that thought out of your head. You
can leave now, please." She could only whisper.
"Come, come now...you know you belong with me. You've had your little fling,
probably been screwing all five of them out there. But now it's time for you
to come back with me, Sierra, don't make this harder on yourself."
"No, Rob, I told you before-." She saw him swing back, but the movement
didn't register. His hand rose up and smashed across her face. She felt her
body fly back and slam into a table. There was a haze of pain when she saw him
coming toward her again. She began to scream. He kicked her in the stomach,
cutting off her air.
Rob looked at her. Thick strands of hair stuck to her face, she was cold, and
sweating. Watching her, curled up so small in the corner, her knees brought
up snuggly to her chest. He paced the room.
Sierra's mind felt blurry, her body, numb. She did not recall making the decision
to crawl to the door. The few feet amid the two seemed so long.
? ? ?
Brian glared at
the house again. He wondered what they we talking about. He couldn't seem to
kick the feeling that she shouldn't be in there alone.
"Brian."
Why had she just gone alone with him?
"Brian."
He should have told Rob to leave. He shouldn't have let him take her away.
"Brian," Finger's snapped in front of his face. "Earth to Brian."
Nick watched his friend curiously. "Come on, we're all going back to the
house." He motioned to the rest of the group that was already half way
up the beach.
"Oh. Okay."
"Bri, you alright?" Nick handed him some bags of food to help carry.
"Yeah," He looked at Sierra's front door as they passed it. "
I'll be alright."
? ? ?
Dazed, She saw her hand reach up and tug at the chain, freeing it, and then
grasping the dead bolt. Click.
"Where are you trying to go, darling? Trying to get away?" He advanced
towards her, smiling.
She shook her head, but he hit her again. This blow sent her crashing against
the door. Moaning, she touched a hand to the side of her face.
? ? ?
"Bri? Where
are you goin-."
"Something's wrong." Brian interrupted Nick's complaint and started
for the door at a run.
"What the-."
"Let's go, something's wrong." Brian repeated. He was already at the
steps by the time Nick began to chase after him.
Sierra got up the
strength to fight back. She kicked, hitting his chest, and surprised him enough
to give her a chance to crawl away.
She heard pounding on the door. A demand to open it.
When she tried to stand and walk towards the sound, she felt her legs give way
from under her.
Satisfied for the moment, Rob watched as she struggled to stand again. She would
pay for leaving him. This time, she would know who was in charge. Smiling to
himself, he noticed Sierra pulling herself over to the door again, reaching
up to unhook the last bolt.
"Stupid. That was very stupid Sierra." He kicked her again, missing
her ribs but contacting with her hip, and sending her crashing into a lamp.
She tried to breathe, feeling it cut through her like knives, she prayed that
he would leave her alone. Let the pain go away.
It was suddenly quiet, Sierra couldn't seem to feel anything, but heard someone
shouting, calling her name. In the silence, she heard the smooth sound of the
doorknob turning. She saw Brian burst in. Sierra noticed him look at her. Saw
his face change from panic to rage. He was angry. Very angry. She could see
it in the way his eyes darkened and the way he moved towards Rob.
In pieces, she saw Brian lunge, shoving him to the floor. Before Rob could stand,
Brian leaped at him again. This time he used his fists, forgetting everything
else but the fact that the man under him didn't deserve to live. He wasn't worthy
of air. At the thought, Brian felt his hands leave Rob's face, and mechanically
move to his stomach.
"Get the hell off-." A fist slamming into his jaw cut off Rob's word,
and slammed his head against the floor.
If the thought of Sierra hadn't crossed Brian's mind, he probably would have
killed him. He would have loved to kill him.
Standing up, Brian looked cautiously for movement from the body below him. Nothing.
Breathing hard through his nostrils, he swore under his breath, then looked
frantically around the room for her.
Brian moved toward her, stripping off his jacket, he wrapped it around her.
Her clothes were bloody and torn, but she didn't move; only jerked when he moved
closer.
"Sierra, baby, it's over now. It's all over." He brushed the hair
away from her face. Fighting to keep his rage buried, he began to rock her slowly.
Brian didn't seem to notice when Nick yelled that he was getting help.
Sierra began to shake. He pulled he close and continued to rock her, as she
trembled. He turned his face, so that she could see him. "It's okay baby,
it's me. It's Brian. Can you hear me, Sierra? Everything is going to be okay
now, I'm here."
"Ambulance is on the way." Nick placed a hand on Brian's shoulder.
"Holy shit." He looked at her.
Tearing a scrap of clothing from his shirt, Brian dabbed some blood away from
her swollen cheek. Drawing her back up close to him, he swayed gently. He didn't
seem to hear the others around them, moving, talking, and shouting.
At the tug on his shoulder, he turned his head up to see AJ moving his lips.
It took a while for the words to register.
"Where's Rob?"
"What?" Frantically, Brian glared at the spot where the body had been
laying. Nothing. With out words, he turned back to Sierra. Her moans had softened,
and he stroked her hair. Wherever the Hell Rob had went. He couldn't have gotten
far. Brian thought. He wasn't going to let him take her away again. It took
everything in him to stay with her, instead of running off to find Rob. That
would come at it's own time.
By the time the medics came, she was sleeping, her head tucked in the curve
of his shoulder.
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