Wild Ride: Lance and Tammy (16 page)

“No way! You are the last person on this earth that would have a little fun because you are so busy looking after everyone. Besides, I would love to have you as a sister in law!  Gosh, I feel like a blimp.  Speaking of which,” she laughs. “I need you here to look after me.  Colton smothers me with love, but he doesn’t know how to handle symptoms, and he frets when he feels helpless.  Jacob works too much and I’m afraid to call on him with the little time he has with Tessa and the kids.”

“You’ll be fine Elaina.  Just get him to rub your lower back at night.”

“He does.  He’s wonderful.  I love him to pieces,” she sighed softly. “I really hope Lance sees how amazing you are too.”

“Me too.” She chuckled. “I miss you guys.  I don’t like rich snobs.”

“We miss you so much. Mom says ‘hi’.”

“Tell everyone I miss them too. I’ll see you Thursday.”

They said their goodbyes and hung up.

Mavis came into the room at that time.  “Miss Easler, there’s a Richard Cavanaugh here to see you.”

Timmy’s face fell. What on earth was he doing here, in Lance’s home? 

Mavis saw her expression and looked a little worried.

“Hi Tamara.”

It was obvious he was supposed to wait in the entrance, but instead, showed himself in.  The look of disproval on Mavis’s face gave that away.

“What are you doing here?”

He whistled as he looked around the room while stepping into it.  “He really is filthy rich, isn’t he?  That’s hard to compete with.”

Mavis gave Tammy a concerned look and Tammy shook her head saying it was okay.  She nodded, but cast a suspicious glance at Richard as she left.

“Wow, I honestly thought you’d fall to pieces after you left me.”  He shoved his hands in his pockets and stared at her. “I’m disappointed.  I guess Mr. Hartley has everything then, doesn’t he? I mean he’s got looks, intelligence, wealth—and you.”

“Where’s Melanie?”  Tammy would not feed into this man’s self-pity.  He was getting married to another woman hopefully moving on with his life.  Richard did not love her, he wanted to possess her, and have the trophy wife her mother tried to turn her into.  Richard wanted something that didn’t exist and really, they were both better off.  Melanie was a much better choice.  Richard just didn’t like losing.

“Doing some boring pre-wedding stuff with her mother.”  He walked past her to the windows dismissing the conversation, “What a fucking view!” He splayed his hands out like he was going to take flight.

Tammy took a deep breath for patience.  “You shouldn’t be here.”

Richard turned around and his eyes ran over her. She was wearing the jeans and blouse she arrived in the day before yesterday. “You are still a knockout.  Did you know that?  I mean, your mother kept you under her thumb so you were quite naïve, but Christ you were pretty.  Now look at you.  You filled out nicely after you left—a late bloomer I guess.”

She tilted her head and stared at him while ignoring the derogatory comment.  Regan said the same thing to her yesterday.  She’d matured a lifetime since she left, and she refused to be intimidated by him anymore. Another thing had peaked her curiosity and worried her. She’d already asked him what he wanted and he’d yet to answer her.  There was something really odd about him too.  He had perspiration on his brow, and his tie was crooked.  Anyone who knew this man would know that he never had a crooked tie, or a hair out of place. Appearances meant everything to him. Also, it wasn’t too warm in the penthouse, or outside. “If you’re here to flatter me, it’s falling on deaf ears.”

“Yes, I supposed with the millionaire in your pocket, it is.”

“It’s never been about money Richard or I wouldn’t have left. I support myself. It just goes to show how much you don’t know me.”

“No?  I think you actually knew how you looked to the opposite sex and held out.  I think you’re a big tease Tammy. I should have taken what was mine all those years ago.  You would be married to me now.”

She didn’t like how this conversation was going.  She felt an unfamiliar fear creep through her. “I think you should leave.  Your hold over me ended when I left nine years ago.”

He shrugged ignoring her request.  “Your mother seems to think we can get back together.”

“My mother’s ideas will never change.  I’m with someone else now.” Yes, it was a lie, but she needed him to believe it.

“Are you?  I think you still have feelings for me.”

“I did when I was young and naive, until you tried to rape me.”

“It wasn’t rape. You were going to be my wife.”

“Richard, this might be hard for you to believe, but if a woman says no, and you force them, it’s rape, whether you are engaged or married. I was barely eighteen.”

“You were old enough to pleasure me. I wouldn’t have gone to Melanie, if you had given in.”

“I did not love you. I don’t love you.”  It fell on deaf ears.

“It’s not too late for me to call off the wedding.  We could still be the couple we were meant to be.”

“Quite frankly Richard, I don’t want you.  I love Lance. Also, I can’t do that to my sister regardless of what occurred years ago.” That was not a lie.  She wasn’t sure how much more blunt she could be.  He just wasn’t listening.  Some things just don’t change.  He always did what he wanted and told her how things were going to be without even checking to see if she disagreed or not.

He walked up to her until he stood toe to toe looking down at her. She refused to show fear and move back. He couldn’t affect her anymore. He lifted his hand and ran it over her shoulder. “Maybe you were just too young at the time. Now that you’re more mature, you’ll see it differently.”

She finally stepped back. “You don’t have the right to touch me.”

Suddenly his face contorted in rage. “And Mr. High and Mighty does?” He screamed it at her, and spittle flew into her face. 

She flinched and stepped back again, her eyes wide at the sudden show of fury. What is wrong with him?  She’d seen him like this before, but they were younger, and he had a hold on her then, but he wasn’t this fierce. Except once.  A wash of fear went through her.

He glared at her. His eyes were dark and cold.  She could smell alcohol on his breath, horrible memories came flooding back to her of when he came to her room smelling the same way at seventeen and tried to force her.  She ended up with bruises on her legs, ribs, and wrists in the shape of fingermarks. He’d managed to rip her clothes off her but was interrupted before he’d finished what he started.  At that time, she couldn’t be more relieved for her mother coming home early. Richard fled, and Tammy showed her mother what’d he done, hoping that she’d finally come to her senses.  To her horror, her mother insisted she kept this to herself because people would label her as a loose woman, and her father would be shunned at work and the social circles she’d worked so hard to become a part of.  She was mortified. So yes, against her principles and fear of her mother, she did, but she was young and had no one she could turn to.  For all she knew, this was the way things were.  However, when she turned eighteen she got the hell away from both of them. Now she knew it wasn’t right. She was no longer a teenager and would scream the rooftops off if he so much as touched her in that way again.

“I can be this wealthy.  I’m up for a junior partnership. You need to give me time.”

“I told you Richard, it isn’t about money.  I live in a small apartment, on a limited income, and I’m very happy about that.”  She kept her voice soft to try and calm him down, but it didn’t seem to be working.  He was escalating.  A tingle of fear went through her.  She’d seen this before with patients and addictions.

“It’s always about this.”  He splayed his hands out again indicating to the rich furnishings of the great room.

“It’s not—”

She didn’t expect to get struck. Not from Richard. He’d held her down bruising her when she was a teenager, but did not strike her. It came out of nowhere, and was completely unexpected.  He’d hit her hard enough that she lost her balance. She fell backwards and landed on the sofa. One of her arms knocked the lamp off the side table and it shattered on the floor. Before she could move, still reeling from the shock and the impact, he was on top of her, his hand on her throat pinning her to the cushion.  She gasped, her eyes wide with fear.

He leaned down so his face was inches from hers.  “You are mine Tamara.  You always were.  No one walks away from me!”

Tammy had worked with all kinds of people, even people who were committed from time to time for aggressive behavior, so she could actually see them coming, but for some reason she missed this. 

“Stop,” she gasped as she reached up and pushed at his face.

He tightened his hold on her neck. “You are going to break up with Mr. Millionaire and come back to me. Do you hear me?”

For some reason the fact that he was demanding she listen to him, made her get angry.  She should be afraid, but his threats brought back a world of angst and rage. There was a reason she enrolled in self-defense classes in her late teens after his first attack.  No one would do that to her again. She grit her teeth fighting against the squeezing grip on her neck. Her instructors always told her not to try and pry hands off because it never worked, but instead go for something more sensitive. “No!”  She brought her knee up and hit him hard in the groin.  He shouted in pain, and instantly rolled off her onto the floor groaning while cupping his groin and curled in a fetal position.

She scooted up the couch holding her throat and gasping more in fear then pain.  Her adrenaline was pumping so that hadn’t set in yet. Then she scrambled over the end of the sofa and stood up.  She was angry, hurt and in shock. “No one touches me Richard!” She yelled at him.  In that instant Lance burst in the room, then paused taking in the scene. 

Mavis came in behind him wringing her hands in worry. “Oh dear!”

“What the fuck? Tam?” 

She quickly stepped around the couch and the broken shards from the lamp and ran to him.  He gathered her in his arms.

“Jesus. Mavis called me in a panic. Are you okay?”  He tilted her face up and saw the beginnings of a bruise on her cheek. His legendary reserved expression dissolved into fury. “That son of a bitch!”

“I’m okay.”

He went to walk past her and she grabbed his jacket to stop him.  He turned and looked at her.

“I am fine, please don’t hurt him.”  She had never seen him this angry, or angry at all.  Despite his visible rage his voice was calm when he spoke next.

“Mavis, call the police,” he said with his eyes on Tammy.

“Yes Mr. Hartley.” She turned to go until Tammy’s voice stopped her.

“No, please don’t.” Mavis paused looking back and forth at the two of them.

“Tammy, the prick struck you!” There was some leakage of fury with that accusation. 

She had to hand it to him.  His self-control was impeccable.  If it was Colton there would be nothing left of Richard by now.

“No—I mean yes, but there’s something wrong with him.” She pointed at Richard who was still on the floor writhing and moaning.  “He doesn’t look right—or acting right.”

“Yes, because he’s a bloody sadist and a misogynist!” He shot a warning look in the man’s direction.

“No, I mean yes, but I think he’s on something. I’ve seen patients like this before.  Addicts.”

He looked over her head at the man on the floor again and narrowed his eyes as if studying him for a moment. Then he returned his attention to her, cupped her head and tilted it up to study the bruise forming.  It was as if he was contemplating his actions by the damage done to her. “I’m okay Lance.”

He sighed not believing her. “Stay here.”  Lance finally released her and went up to Richard, bent down, and gripped his arm. “Get up, you sack of shit.” He helped him stand and thrust him in a chair with enough force to make the chair nearly flip over backwards. He cried out again. “If you move, I’ll fucking kill you.  Do you understand?” Richard managed to sit straight after a moment and nodded still breathing heavy from the pain in his groin.  Lance leaned over and looked at his eyes. “Dilated as hell.  What did you take?”

He shook his head and his eyes went to Tammy.

“Tammy will be the last one you can look to for help now. This is my house. You have two options here Cavanaugh.  I send you to jail for assault, or you fess up and I get you help.”

He nodded and bowed his head.  “I—I don’t know what I took.  I got something from a friend.  Some pills.  I drank a little.  I was upset.  I don’t feel so great now.”

“Stupid bastard.”  He stood and pulled out his phone to make a call.  “You’re going to the hospital before you vomit on my expensive oriental rug.  I should just throw you in the damn gutter for what you did to Tammy.  Be thankful she’s here.  I wouldn’t be so gracious.”

Richard’s eyes went to Tammy. 

She folded her arms across her chest and stared back at him unafraid. One of her brows rose to say ‘he’s right’. She could see that he regretted what he did, but she wasn’t going to forgive him until he got help and was really sorry for his actions.

“Mavis, get Tammy some ice for that cheek,” he ordered before speaking to someone on the phone.

Tammy was certain she heard him say Vern’s name.