Alec by Margaret McHeyzer
I should’ve just stayed at Alec’s house tonight, but I didn’t bring a change of clothes, and I need to be up early in the morning.
Note to self, take a change of clothes over to Alec’s, so if I’m tired, like I am tonight, I can just have a shower and stay. And maybe, I’ll get woken up with his mouth on my body. I mean, hello. Hot firefighter going down on me? Hell yes please!
Driving back home, I’m struggling to keep my eyes open, and when I pull into the street, the two guys are sitting out the front smoking something from a pipe as a number of quite scantily-clothed women are sitting on their laps kissing them.
I don’t know about them, but I’d rather be getting my freak on instead of getting high from whatever they’re smoking in the pipe. What gets me though, is they’re quite open about whatever drugs they’re using. They’re not even trying to hide them. I guess, they can do whatever they like, it’s their choice.
I pull into my driveway, and the two guys push the women who are sitting on their laps off them, stand, and both walk to the edge of their front yard, just staring at me. Man, they’re peculiar and eerie, but I’ve been lucky, because other than the odd glares, they’ve never done anything to me. The quicker I’m out of here, the better. Speaking of which, I need to talk to Alec more seriously about moving in with him. Maybe it’s too early to move in together.
I unlock the door quickly, push through, and relock it. Thankfully, now that I know Jordan is in rehab, I don’t have to worry about him ransacking my room, looking for anything of value he can pawn in order to pay for his next hit.
Taking my phone out of my bag, I send Alec a quick text telling him I’m home. I throw my bag on the bed, grab my pajamas, and head into the bathroom for a shower. I can’t believe how tired I am. Since Jordan’s been gone, I feel relieved, but also worried because I owe Alec money and I don’t want him to think I’ll never repay it. So I’ve been working every possible shift to earn it so I can pay him back, even though he hasn’t asked me for a single dime.
The water is magic against my tired body. It pounds on my shoulders, making my eyes droop shut as the feeling of pure bliss washes over me.
Right now, everything in the world is perfect.
Jordan’s in rehab, kicking his drug habit. Alec is my and Jordan’s savior by loaning me the rest of the money I needed to get Jordan into rehab. Not to mention, how caring he is toward me. I let out a laugh, remembering the first time I met him. He was angry, and frustrated, and took everything out on anyone who was around him. Including me. Just because he was mad at himself, it didn’t mean I was going to let him treat me like crap. I was there to do a job, and I wasn’t going to let him speak to me like shit. No matter how badly I needed the money, there was no way I was going to let his behavior stand. Nope, sorry.
The moment I’m out of the shower, I towel dry myself, and put my pajamas on. Thankfully, I don’t have to wash my hair until tomorrow night. Meaning, I can just jump into bed and go to sleep. I’m beyond exhausted. I know, the moment my eyes close, I’ll be out of it.
Sliding into bed, I grab my phone and find a message from Alec.
Sweet dreams. Tomorrow we’ll start moving you in here.
Yeah, about that. We need to have a more serious conversation.
Yawning, my eyes are nearly closing on their own. My phone vibrates, and I look at the message.
No need. You’re moving in with me.
A huge smile stretches across my face. I love how take-charge he is with me. It’s comforting. Because for the first time in a long time, someone is taking care of me.
Night.
My eyes close, and before I know it, I’m out.
A loud banging startles me from a deep sleep. I open my eyes, and try to figure out where the banging is coming from.
“Open the fucking door, Jordan!” I hear someone yelling. Afraid, I jump out of bed and run to my door to lock it. “Open the fucking door!” the male voice is deep, and angry.
Quickly, I grab my phone and dial Alec’s number. “Hey beautiful,” he says in a groggy voice.
“I’m sending you my address, get here quickly,” I say, panic coursing through my body. I quickly type out a text, then dial nine-one-one. My hands are trembling as the call is being placed.
“Nine-one-one. What’s your emergency?” a calm female asks.
“Someone’s breaking into my house. Please, please, be quick.” There’s another loud bang, this time, I think he’s actually breaking down the front door. “He’s trying to break in. I can hear him trying to break the front door.” My hands tremble as terror surges through me.
“What’s your address?” I quickly rattle off the address twice, in case I’m speaking too fast the first time. “What’s your name?”
“Um, Um, my name is Serena Whitaker,” I’m in such a panic that I’m not even sure if I’m answering questions or just yelling things into the phone.
“Where the fuck are you, Jordan?” I hear the voice is now inside my house.
“He’s inside. Oh my God, please hurry. He’s inside.” I hold my breath, trying to make myself as quiet as I can.
“Are you safe where you are?”
“I’ve locked myself in my room,” I whisper and try to sink against the wall, hoping it’ll swallow me and protect me.
“Can you get out through the window?”
“No, there are bars on all the windows. I’m trapped.” I hear heavy footsteps down the small hall. “Shit, shit, he’s outside the door,” I cry into the phone.
“Police are on their way. ETA is five minutes.”
He rattles my door handle and finds it locked. “In here,” I hear one say.
“Shit, there’s more than just one. They’re at my door.” I don’t have five minutes, I barely have five seconds.
“Whatever you do, don’t hang up. You’re doing really well, Serena. Just don’t hang up.”
“I won’t,” I whisper into the phone. The loud thumping echoes through my ears. I know they’re at my door, and I’m completely helpless to do anything. I stand from where I’m huddled on the floor, and run to my window. Opening it, I yell with all my might, “Fire! Fire! Fire!” If I yell help, in this neighborhood, I might not be taken seriously. But yelling fire, might have people coming out of their houses to at least see what’s happening. “Fire! Fire! Fire!” I yell with everything I have. My throat is sore, but I yell it over and over again.
The banging on the door happens once again. The door is nearly at breaking point. One more hit, and there’s no chance I’ll survive this. Not if they’re looking for Jordan. They’ll hurt or kill me just to teach him a lesson.
I scream again, and I notice a light flick on from the house next door.
My bedroom door gives way, and there are two men standing at the doorway. One is holding a baseball bat, the other a knife. Neither have a mask over their faces. Shit, I’m gonna die.
I back up against the window, trying to climb out, although it’s impossible with the bars on the window. “Where the fuck is Jordan?” the first one says with an eerily calm voice.
“Rehab,” I answer without even a second thought.
The one holding the bat looks to the other, and he shakes his head. There’s a silent knowing exchange between them, as a dreadful feeling of fear surges through me. It seems like time is moving slowly. The police aren’t here yet. No one is coming to help, and these two men are inching closer and closer to me.
“What do you think?” one says to the other.
“I’ve had worse.” He cocks an eyebrow and drags his scary gaze all over my body.
A sickening, gut-wrenching pain overtakes me. I know what’s coming next, and it’s nothing pleasant. This is where I die...or worse. Death would be welcome compared to the knowledge of what else could happen. “Please, don’t,” I plead while shaking my head. I clutch the phone in my hand as I close my eyes and wince at what’s just about to happen.
“Who the fuck are you?” I hear an unfamiliar voice. I open my eyes to see one of the two guys from down the street. Right behind him is the other guy. “What the fuck do you want?” He stands taller, a gun sticking out of his waistband.
“Got nothing to do with you. Walk away,” the original one with the bat says.
“Get the fuck out.” He places his hand on the gun. The other guy behind him has a shotgun pointing at the two who broke in.
“We just want the guy.”
“He don’t live here. Now, fuck off,” the one holding the shotgun says as he moves around the room to stand in front of me.
What the hell is going on?
The two who broke into my house look at me, then back at the two holding guns. They appear completely unfazed, while internally I’m doing everything possible to hold in my tears, and the vomit which wants to make an exit.
They look to me, then to each other and walk out of my bedroom. The one holding the shotgun stays in front of me, while the other stands in the hallway and watches the intruders leave. The one holding the shotgun turns to me, holds his hand out and helps me up from where I’ve been cowering. He casts a look over my body. “You never belonged in this neighborhood. This isn’t a safe place for you. Pack your shit, and leave.” I profusely nod, not wanting to anger him. He goes to the door, whispers something to the other guy then turns to me. He looks at my phone, and gestures toward it. I hold my phone out to him, and notice there’s no call to the police. I’m not sure how, but I’ve hung up from them. “We were never here,” he says.
“Okay,” I say through heavy whimpering.
He and the other guy take off out of my house, and I stand completely still, not sure what the hell just happened. I’m not even sure how long it is before I hear the police sirens. Did this all happen in less than five minutes? Oh my God, I’m going to be sick.
“Ma’am, ma’am, what happened?” a young male police officer asks as I run into the bathroom and hurl my guts into the toilet.
My head is spinning and I don’t know what to say. “Two men...” I manage to say before I vomit again.
“Do you know who they are?” I shake my head. “Did they say anything?”
I nod. “They were asking for my brother, Jordan.”
“Where’s your brother now?”
“Serena?!” I hear Alec calling. “Serena?”
“Alec Morgan?” I hear another male policeman ask.
“Michael, is she okay? What happened?”
“She’s okay, she’s in the bathroom with Dylan. She’s okay.”
“I need to see her.”
“Alec!” I burst into tears as I push up from the bathroom floor and head straight past the cop into Alec’s arms. “Two guys broke in looking for Jordan.”
“They didn’t touch you, did they?” Alec asks quietly as he holds me close to his rigid body.
“No, they didn’t.”
“Alec, we need to talk with Serena,” the other cop says.
Alec leads me over to the sofa, and sits beside me, his arm possessively around my shoulders. “Where’s your room?” Alec asks.
“Down there.” I point to the hallway. “The one with the broken-down door.” Alec jumps up, and leaves, and returns with the blanket from my bed. He wraps it around me. “Thank you.”
“You’re shivering, sweetheart.” He kisses my temple and drapes his arm around me again.
“I’m Michael Jones, and I’m the sheriff from Mulberry Point. Can you tell me what happened?”
“Um. Yeah.” My hands are trembling as I try and recall everything from the moment I woke. “I was asleep, and I woke up when I heard someone banging. Um, two men broke in.” I look over to the front door, and it’s off the hinges with the wood frame completely broken. “They were searching for my brother Jordan.”
“Where is your brother?”
“He um...” I burst into tears, trying to hide my face.
“He recently went into rehab, a place in Kentucky. We both took him there,” Alec answers.
“What’s the place called?” Michael asks.
“New Dawn Treatment Center,” I reply. “Um, they got to my door, and tried it, but I’d locked it before they got in. They kicked it down, and asked me where Jordan was.”
Michael is writing things down as he nods. “How many of them where there?”
“Two.”
“Did they have any weapons?”
“Yeah, one had a baseball bat, and the other had a knife.”
“Can you describe them?”
Blinking rapidly, I wring my clammy hands together. “Both were pretty big and solid. They had dark hair, um, and um.” Beads of sweat form on my upper lip and hairline. The intensity is too much. There’s a loud noise outside, and I flinch as I turn to look at what’s going on.
Dean and Rhett are at my door, both looking around at the aftermath of what’s happened. I look at Alec, who gives them a curt nod. “Dean? Rhett?” Michael says.
“We know. We’re not touching anything.”
Michael nods then turns back to me. “Can you tell me their nationality?”
“Both white men. Stocky in build. Maybe in their late twenties or early thirties,” I answer honestly.
“Any tattoos or piercings that you noticed or saw?” I shake my head. “What about haircuts, short? Long?”
“Um, I think they were short. I don’t know. I’m sorry.” I rub at my temples, desperate not to break down and cry.
“Don’t apologize. You’re doing well. Did they leave when you told them your brother wasn’t here?”
Oh shit. What do I say? I owe my life to the two guys down the road. They told me not to say anything. I can’t get them in trouble for saving me. I highly doubt, the shotgun and gun they have would’ve been legally acquired. I don’t know what to do. The right thing to do is to tell the police everything and let them deal with it. But I owe those guys. If they hadn’t gotten here when they did, I think I’d have been in a world of trouble.
“I closed my eyes and covered my hand over my ears.” I just lied to the police. “But they knew I had called the police.”
Michael looks to Alec, then me. “The likely chance is that if your brother is in rehab, he probably owes money to someone. And they came to either collect, or hurt him. And unfortunately, this neighborhood isn’t known for security cameras. We’ll do what we can, but...” he trails off. “Unless you know who your brother owes money to?”
“I don’t, I’m sorry.”
“Michael, she works several jobs just so she could save to send him to rehab. Serena isn’t involved in that type of lifestyle,” Alec adds.
“I can see she doesn’t belong here,” Michael replies to Alec while looking around this shitty house. “Look, I’ll give New Dawn a call and see if I can speak to your brother, but if he’s not willing to give me the information, then I’m afraid we don’t have a lot to go on. We’ll ask your neighbors, and see if any of them heard or saw anything, but without more information, there’s not much we can do to find them.”
I nod my head. “I understand.”
“Have you got somewhere you can stay until you can fix the doors?”
“She’s coming home with me,” Alec says. “Dean and Rhett are here to clear this place out.”
“Okay. Well, here’s my card in case you remember anything.” Michael extends his hand to give me a business card, and Alec takes it while I sit beneath the blanket, shivering from the trauma of the invasion.
“Thank you,” I say.
Michael stands, and gestures for Alec to walk out with him. The moment Alec is up, Dean is beside me, his arms around me. “You okay?” he asks.
I nod without saying anything, and start crying again. “Here you go.” Rhett hands me a tissue, and sits on the other side of me.
“Tell us what’s coming with you, and what’s staying. We’ll pack everything you want, and move it tonight, okay?” Dean says.
“There’s nothing I want from here. All this stuff is crap. I just need to grab my clothes, and some things from my bedroom.”
“Do you want to go now? We’ll come with you,” Dean asks.
“I’m not sure what to do.” I bury my face into my hands, and keep crying. I feel so violated, and sick to my stomach. If those two guys hadn’t shown up, I can’t stop thinking about what would’ve happened to me. I owe them more than my gratitude. But, did I do the wrong thing by not telling the police about them? I can’t think about that now, I just can’t.
There’s a movement from beside me, and I instantly know Alec’s here. “It’s okay. When you’re ready, we’ll go to your room, and pack your things. If you have nothing here you want, there’s no need to ever return again.” I lower my hands, and turn to look at Alec. He wipes under my eyes, leans in and gives me a gentle kiss on the cheek. “I’ve got you.”
I know he does. “Thank you.” I take a breath, and look around at the mess of this place. “Can we leave soon, please?” This house has never held any kind of joy. The only things I see when I’m here are painful memories.
“As soon as you’re ready.”
I take several deep breaths, before I stand. With the blanket still wrapped around me, we head into my bedroom. I get a suitcase from my closet and start filling it with my clothes and small keepsakes. I take the tin out of my room, and hand it to Alec. “This is the most valuable thing to me. Please, don’t let it go.”
“I won’t. Are you sure you don’t want any blankets, or towels, or the microwave, anything?”
“I don’t even want my toothbrush.” I finish packing the little I have in one damn suitcase. “I can’t believe my entire life fits into this one suitcase.” I look around my room, and shake my head. “This isn’t a way to live.”
“What about Jordan’s room? Is there anything in there you want to keep?”
“He pawned anything of value he had. There’s nothing in there worth keeping.”
“Where are your car keys?”
“In my bag, I think.” I motion toward the bag Alec bought me. He walks over, slides the tin into it, then turns to look at me. “Can I go through it to find your keys?”
“You don’t have to ask.” I try and smile.
“Thank you.” He rummages around my bag, finds my keys and holds them in his hand. “Here.” I hold my hand out for my bag.
“I’ll swap ya.” He takes the suitcase from beside me, and hands me my bag. “Are you sure there’s nothing else here that you want?” I shake my head. “Okay, let’s go.” We walk out of the room, and I notice it’s just Dean and Rhett left here. They’ve temporarily fixed the door, but one good kick and the door will be off the hinges again. There’s nothing in here of value, if anyone wants anything, they’re more than welcome to it. “Can you bring Serena’s car back to my house?” Alec asks Rhett.
“Sure.” Rhett takes the keys, then comes over to me, and hugs me. “It’ll be okay. We’re all here for you.” He kisses my cheek before stepping back and leaving via the now band-aided front door.
As we walk out in the middle of the night, I notice the two guys sitting out the front of their house, smoking a cigarette. All this time I’d been creeped out by them watching me as I’d come and go, when they were looking out for me. They watch as Rhett gets in my car, and drives down the street waiting for Alec and Dean to fall in behind him.
The two guys give me small nods, to which I reply by mouthing thankyou, before tears fill my eyes again. I know if they didn’t show up when they did, then this whole thing would’ve gone in a completely different and disastrous way.
Alec places his hand on my thigh, and gently squeezes. What a damn night.
