Carefully and slowly, I get off the floor using every ounce of strength I have left in me.When I manage to get on my knees, I reach over and search through Darren’s pockets while keeping my eyes locked on his face so I know if he wakes up.I find a set of keys, his phone, and a pack of cigarettes.Darren has never smoked a cigarette or anything else that I know of.Now he apparently does.To each their own I guess.Leaving the cigarettes behind, I keep the keys and cell phone in my hand.Taking another breath, I push myself the rest of the way to my feet using Darren’s body to help me.
I see him start to stir as I move around him.Bending down after putting the keys and phone in the pocket of my pants, I grab the pipe once again.Usually, I wouldn’t use a weapon of any kind.However, Darren is a lot bigger than I am and I’m already hurt.With the pipe in hand, I start to beat on the man I’ve called my husband for eight years.
“This is for treating your son like shit every time you were home on leave.Here’s one for cheating on me throughout our entire relationship.This is one for your daughter who you’ve never met.She won’t have the tainted memories of you as a father the way your son does.This one is for betraying all of us.For throwing the loyalty you were shown by Caleb and Kreed back in their faces.And this one is for being a bitch instead of a man and owning up to how you felt about me and our marriage all these years.This is goodbye, Darren.I hope I never fucking see you again,” I scream out, causing more damage as blood fills my mouth and I spit it out on the floor next to Darren.“I hope you rot in hell and never feel a second of peace in your life again.”
Pulling out the phone, I tap the screen and find there’s no lock or pin needed to get into it.It’s a cheaper version of a smart phone and I know no one will have the phone number for it.This kind of breaks my heart because Caleb doesn’t always answer phone calls with numbers not saved in his phone already.Hopefully today is not one of those days and he’ll answer me.
Looking around as I dial Caleb’s number from memory, I take in the cracked cement, the water leaking from various holes in the hallway, and feel the cold continuing to seep into my body.It’s so dark with the only light coming from the small screen of the cell phone.When I was younger, I used to be so scared of the dark.I’d always have to have some kind of light there even if it was the smallest amount from a nightlight.Caleb made sure to always leave a light on for me if I ever fell asleep with him.He never once made me feel childish or ashamed to be scared of the dark.Darren did.He forced me to get used to sleeping in the dark whether he was with me or not.Now, I don’t fear it but the shadows being cast by the small amount of light as I walk down the hall toward a set of stairs.
While I press the call button after dialing Caleb’s number, I listen for any sign of Darren waking up after I hit him again.The phone rings and rings.It rings so long, I’m afraid of it going to voicemail instead of him answering my call.
“Who the fuck is this?Darren?”Caleb answers the phone, his voice hard and cold as it breaks like he’s crying.
My heart hurts with the thought of this man shedding a tear for any reason.He’s not one to ever truly allow his emotions to be shown to others except on rare occasions.The last time I saw Caleb completely break down was when we had Darren’s funeral.He cried so hard he walked away and stood behind everyone else as Kreed and his dad made their way to his side.Caleb was never left alone in his time of grief because we honestly had no clue how hard it would hit him and what he’d do.
“Caleb,” I cry out, a huge sob escaping me as I continue moving forward.“Help me, Caleb.Please help me.”
“Caliana!”Caleb practically yells through the phone and I know it's slight relief I hear in his voice.“Where the fuck are you?”
“I don’t know,” I tell him, my voice breaking as large tears slide down my face and land on the cement floor at my feet.“Right now I’m in a basement.”
“Okay, Reina.Are you hurt?”he asks me, anger filling his voice as I start walking up the stairs.
“Ah!”I scream out with the first step as my elbow hits the wall next to me.
“What’s wrong, Cali?Ya gotta talk to me, Baby,” Caleb pleads with me.
“Darren hit me in the elbow with a pipe.I heard it crack so I’m sure it’s broken or something.My ribs hurt really bad too.Those aren’t broken though.I’m walking up the stairs of the basement so it hurts.And I hit my elbow on the wall,” I tell Caleb trying to focus on putting one foot in front of the other so I can get far away from Darren.
“Fucker!”Caleb yells out and I know he’s going to love getting his hands on the man I’m leaving behind once and for all.
“How are the kids?Are they okay?”I question Caleb needing to know nothing has happened to them.
“’Lil Bit, they’re okay.Right now they’re in the clubhouse with Sam, Maddie, and Shy.Playboy and Tank are hangin’ out with Bryce so he’s not bored.Bryce is worried about you.Keeps askin’ where you are and why you’re not home with them.Caleb hasn’t seen them since you were taken.We’ve been busy puttin’ plans in place to find you without searchin’ all over Glendale and the surroundin’ towns.Do you know if you’re still in Glendale?”Kreed answers me as I finally get to the top of the stairs and open the door in front of me.Kreed took the phone from Caleb to answer me and I know it’s just so he can hear my voice and know I’m okay.
“I don’t know where I am.Or how much time I’ve been gone.I was knocked out when I first got here.I don’t even remember Darren hitting me after pulling me out the door of Kreed’s house.I managed to get myself free once I distracted him and then knocked him out with the same pipe he was hitting me with.I passed out again from the pain I was in and woke up a little while ago,” I tell my best friends as I walk through a house that looks as if it’s falling down and one good breeze will finish the job.
“Okay, Reina.We’ll find you.Master is trackin’ this number as we speak.I need you to remain on the phone with me for as long as possible.Can you do that?”Caleb asks, as I hear a door open and multiple voices sound in the background.“You’ve got one hell of an army comin’ for ya, Cali.Papa’s club just got here and so did my brother’s club.”
“Cali!Where the fuck are ya?”Dylan yells, his voice full of worry.
“I don’t know, Dylan,” I cry out, not being able to hold back the tears as my body weakens further with every step I take.
“We got ya, ‘Lil Sis,” Dylan promises.“Got on the road as soon as Papa called us.Vault never moved so fast in his life for an old man.”
I can’t hold back the laughter as I hear Dylan and Vault go back and forth in the background.Vault can’t stand being called an old man even though he’s older than the rest of his club brothers.The boys all do it because they know he hates it.
“Need you to stay on the phone with me, Reina.Can you do that?”Caleb asks me once he has the phone back from his brother.
“Yeah.I won’t hang up.I need you, Caleb.I’ve always needed you,” I tell him honestly as I look for the front door of the house and finally find it through half-closed eyes.“Don’t be scared when you see me, Caleb.And don’t let the kids see me.”
“Why would I be scared, Cali?”he questions me, panic filling his voice as it wavers.
“I can feel the blood coating my skin and know it’s a lot.My clothes are torn more than they’re held together.I’m so cold.And the pain is making me shake more than anything,” I answer, my voice breaking as I finally reach the door.“Give me a second.I need to open the door to go outside.”
“Okay, Cali.”
Adjusting the phone in my hand, I open the door.Darren didn’t even have it locked.He’s so dumb, thinking Caleb and Kreed wouldn’t come after me.One thing I will say is Darren lets his ego get in the way more often than not.He believes he’s untouchable and nothing will ever make his plan fail.With the door open, I know I’m fucked.It’s raining hard outside, but I can’t remain in this house with Darren.If he wakes up and I’m still inside, I’ll be beaten to death.He won’t hold back and will take all the rage he’s feeling out on my already beaten body.
