AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She stared at me, a million possibilities of what I meant flashing in her expression.
“They used me as bait, Ari. I made friends with the kids at the dog park or wherever then Psycho kidnapped them.” Agony slashed my chest open and ripped out my heart, not only for what I’d done in my past but for how Ari glared a hole through me.
“The Jagger I know would never do anything so horrible. Start talking fast, or I’m out of here.” Her nostrils flared, and her heated gaze flashed with anger.
“I never wanted to hurt anyone, Ari. You have to believe me.”
“I don’t understand how that happened. Help me understand, Jagger.”
I raised my hands in surrender. “I don’t expect you to get it. It’s why I said I would let you go.”
She protectively folded her arms over her chest.
“They had a trained shooter on the kid. I saw Psycho shoot someone before, and there was no doubt he would kill one of them if I didn’t do my part.”
Ariana dropped her arms. “He’s killed a kid?”
I rubbed my face with my palms, forcing the memories into the background of my mind. “I was terrified. They had me wired so they heard every word that was said when I was talking to the target.”
“How old?” Tears slid down her cheeks.
“I can’t . . . Please, Ari.”
“Old enough to be at a dog park alone?”
I shook my head.
“Then where were the parents?” She screamed. “Where were the goddamn parents?”
“With the kids. I befriended them as well.” I sank onto one of the benches in the locker room, numb. “A troubled kid trying to do some good and help families goes a long way with people.”
“Oh my God, Jagger. You’re right. You’re a fucking monster.” Ari walked away, her cries bouncing off the walls as she hurried toward the workout rooms.
I placed my elbows on my knees. With my heart in my throat, tears ran down my face. Tears for those years I’d lost, and tears for the kids and families I’d destroyed. Ari needed to leave. Deep inside, I knew that, or I wouldn’t have turned her against me and shared my past. It was the only way I knew to protect her. But holy hell, did it hurt. Dragging my feet to my locker, I opened it and removed Ari’s butterfly necklace. She would want it back now that she knew the truth about me.
* * *
Five hours had passed before Ari’s light footsteps alerted me that she’d returned. Her eyes widened as her attention landed on the delicate necklace dangling from my fingers. “You kept it?”
I stood, my ass scolding me for sitting on the bench so damn long. Glancing at her, I wiped my eyes. “Of course I did. Even through all the darkness, those memories of us together kept me sane.” I briefly stared at the floor. “You should have it back.”
Tears welled in her eyes as I walked behind her, then gently moved her long hair, my fingertips grazing the back of her neck. “I love you, Ari. What you think about me now won’t stop how I feel.” I slipped the necklace on and fastened it, her scent of vanilla and raspberries making me dizzy. Closing my eyes, I imprinted this memory to my brain. Telling her goodbye a second time was about to fucking kill me. I placed a gentle kiss along the curve of her neck. I took a step back and waited for her to tell me why she’d come back.
She turned slowly, and I braced myself for the worst.
Her eyes softened as she touched the butterfly. “Tell me the rest.” Her voice was raw with emotion.
My shoulders sagged with the weight of her words, but maybe her wanting me to continue was a good thing.
“I tried to run after the first time they forced me to talk to a kid. They made sure I never tried it again.”
She remained quiet.
“Psycho tied me to a chair, got out a gun, and shoved it in my mouth. He proceeded to play Russian roulette, and every time he pulled the hammer back . . . I was so scared, I pissed myself. The only way I made it through mentally was to think about you and football, but I honestly didn’t think I was walking away alive.” I took a shaky breath. “They wired me and made sure they had a gun trained on the kid and eventually the parent. I didn’t want a kid to see his parent’s head blown off. At the same time, I knew I was going to help grab an innocent child so they could . . .” My body trembled with my unspoken words. I dared a look at Ari, then at the floor. When I said the rest, I didn’t have enough guts to look her in the eye. I swallowed repeatedly. “Sell them.”
“Oh God. Oh. My. Fucking. God.” Her sobs rang through the room, and my attention landed on her seconds before she reached me.
To my surprise, Ari wrapped her arms around my neck.
