Sinner’s Redemption by Rebecca Joyce

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Tessa

Three days had passed since I spoke to Illyria Valentinetti and in that time, I tried everything I could think of to get ahold of Montana. I’ve called, texted, emailed him until my fingers hurt. I tried to get into the clubhouse only to be told that I was no longer welcome on the premises and to try calling him. When I told the guard that was what I had been doing, he said try harder.

When I reached out to his mother, the call went straight to voicemail before I received a text saying.

Dear Ms. Jackson,

All correspondence needs to go through my son, Montana Stone.

I wish you luck in all your endeavors.

Virginia Stone.

Even when I stopped by Stone House, Mrs. Alice turned me away, saying that Mr. Stone was no longer in residence. That I should try calling him.

Everyone I reached out to say the same damn thing.

Call Montana.

Plopping down on the couch, I screamed, “Answer your damn phone, asshole!”

“Problems?” Tia said, sitting on the sofa beside me.

“He won’t answer my calls.”

“Thought you didn’t want him anymore.”

“I just want to talk to him.”

“Gotta say Tessa, it seems the time for talking has passed. He’s clearly avoiding you. Why not just move on? That’s what you wanted, anyway.”

Glaring at Tia, I sneered, “Jesus Tia. What the hell? You’ve been a real bitch lately. What’s changed? I thought you were team Montana all the way?”

My best friend shrugged her shoulders. “Changed my mind. Look Tess, I don’t mean to be a bitch about all of this. I’m sorry, but you are better off without him. You said it yourself. His own mother showed up in his room and said you weren’t good enough. Just take York and fucking leave. He doesn’t want you anymore.”

Tilting my head, I looked at my best friend as fear rushed through my veins. I never told Tia about that day. Not one word. All I told her was that I got a call from my pastor and rushed home to be with my mom. The only person I ever told about that day was Montana, and I knew damn well he said nothing.

That meant only one thing.

Tia knew because she was there. She was the woman who confronted me that day three years ago. And then it all made sense. Tia was an actress. A very good actress. Even back then, she excelled at her craft. It would be nothing for her to dress up, wear make-up, and throw her voice. I would never know.

But why? Why warn me away from Montana?

Cautiously, I whispered, “Tia. I never told you about a woman.”

Tia sighed. “Damn.”

“Tia, what’s going on?” I asked, and that was when my best friend smiled evilly at me. “All you had to do was go back home, but you couldn’t even do that. Could you?”

Backing up, I got to my feet. “What?”

“He was mine!” she shouted, making me flinch. “I loved him. I gave him everything. Then one day he sees you and I become nothing. Just dirt beneath his feet. He left me hanging. Even when I tried to tell him I was pregnant. He didn’t believe me. He sent his fucking lap dog Mercy to make sure I got the abortion. Told me I either got rid of the kid or he was going to get rid of me!”

Backing away, I shook my head.

She was wrong.

Montana would never do that.

He wouldn’t.

Not after everything.

He wouldn’t kill his own child.

She was lying.

“You lied. There was no baby. You wanted to trap him, and when he found out, he ran you out of the city. That’s why you transferred to UCLA at the end of freshman term.”

“All because he found a new fuck toy.”

“Oh God,” I whispered. “It’s you. You are the one who’s been blacklisting me. You are the one who hired the cops to arrest me. You knew I was in jail and instead of helping me, you called Robbie.”

Tia smirked. “That fucking punk. All he had to do was kill you. But fuck no. He couldn’t even do that.”

“How? How are you paying the hospitals?”

Tia laughed. “Because of my father, of course. Good ol’ dad taught me everything. I even knew who your real dad was all along. Would you like to know how your mother met a man at a bar and lost her virginity to him? I hear Snoopy fucked her real good.”

Snoopy was my dad?

“God, you are so fucking pathetic. All this fucking time, you never knew. Never suspected. You always saw shit with blinders on. Even when I showed up on your doorstep that night. You didn’t even think twice. You welcomed me in with open arms.”

“What are you saying, Tia?”

“They never suspected. Not once. I told Boris that my plan would work. He didn’t want to believe me, but I knew I was right. And they all fell for it.”

“Oh God,” I gasped as my back hit the wall. “You were never attacked in California, were you? You went to that party because you wanted to. You went to Petrovitch for help.”

“Bingo,” Tia said, tapping the side of her head. “Knew you’d figure it out, eventually.”

“You set everything in motion. It wasn’t Benson who gave Petrovitch the information, it was you. You’ve been working with him all along.”

“Give the girl a cookie. She finally figured it out. Too bad little Ava got caught in the crossfire. Thought for sure her brother would go after Montana. Who fucking knew they were partners? No worries. Boris will take care of that fucker, along with the rest of them.”

“What do you mean?”

“She means I plan on killing all of them,” a man said with a thick Russian accent, walking out of Tia’s room, dressed in a black suit. Even his shirt and tie were black. I stood, not moving, as Tia skipped over to the big man, kissing his cheek. “See, baby. I told you it would work.”

Before I could utter a word, someone kicked the front door open as several men entered carrying guns. One of them wasted no time grabbing me. Forcefully turning me towards the wall, I tried to fight him, but some placed a gun against my head.

“Don’t move.”

The next thing I knew, the man behind me ripped my shirt apart right before I felt something sharp cutting my back. Screaming out in pain, another man held me still as the man behind me dug the knife into my shoulder.

“Got it!” he shouted.

“Take her,” Boris said, as I closed my eyes and whispered, “Montana.”  Just as the butt of a gun hit the side of my head, knocking me out.

The room was rocking when I tried to open my eyes but couldn’t. Someone grunted near me, the smell of the room putrid as I tried to hold my breath. My whole body hurt, felt as if someone weighed me down.

“She’s waking up,” I heard someone say.

“Give her another injection. I’m not done,” another voice moaned, as the rocking of the room increased.

I felt a tiny prick in my arm right before I fell into a dark abyss.