Live In My Memory Chapter Fifteen
Waking with a jolt in my bed, I look around the room as I hear a banging on the door. A loud incessant banging that I am sure wants to be answered. Begrudgingly I stand getting out of the bed not caring that I am still in my pajamas or that my hair is thrown into a now messy bun.
"I'm coming," I yell as I make it out into the living room, the knocking finally stopping after I yell. Reaching the door I throw it open giving Taylor a look as he raises his hand about to knock again.
Taylor just blushes before pushing his way in. "Have you seen Kate?" he asks concern dripping out of his voice. "She and Natalie are both missing," he informs me which makes me slam my door shut behind him.
"But you said yesterday you had seen her," I say shaking my head, not understand how they can be missing.
Taylor nods, "I had but today they both dropped the kids off at moms. Said something about how you had called them to talk about some things from the past," he continues sounding confused.
"I didn't call them," I tell him as I go to the couch and sit down. "Did they mention what things from the past?" I ask confused by that comment.
Taylor goes silent as he starts to pace back and fort in my living room, "I'd reckon the day they made you leave after giving birth to Junia."
I feel my eyes widen at Taylor's words, "You knew Natalie played a part in that?" I ask feeling just a bit hurt that he had known but not said anything.
"Natalie came by last night and confessed everything. Said she wanted us to try to start new with no secrets. Z..Zac was upstairs," he adds as if finally realizing something. "Shit," he mutters as he stops pacing back and forth. "He heard us, heard her."
I close my eyes knowing why Taylor is worried now. Zac had killed Carrick because he had threatened me. Now Kate and Natalie were missing after Natalie confessed her part in my leaving after the birth of Junia. "Y..you don't think Zac took them do you?" I ask feeling hesistant because of his answer. I know it's going to be a yes.
Taylor nods his head yes as he sits down next to me, "I don't even think Zac is Zac," he says looking right at me.
"What do you mean by that?" I mutter in confusion not understanding how Zac isn't Zac. Of course Zac is Zac.
Taylor runs a hand through his hair before looking away from me. "Where are the pics that Sadie gave you?" he asks as he finally speaks. "I told you to look them over but obviously you haven't done that yet otherwise you would know what I mean. Otherwise you wouldn't still be so naive to the changes in Zac's attitude lately."
Glaring when he calls me naive I stand from the couch, walking towards my bedroom where I had hidden the pictures in the top drawer. I can feel Taylor walking behind me but I don't say anything to him. Instead I let him follow me. Opening the drawer once I am in the bedroom I get out the pictures and hand them over to Taylor. "Show me whatever it is that would make me less naive oh wise one," I snap off a little harsh.
I cross my arms as Taylor flips through the pictures finally finding one and holding it out to where I can see it. "Do you see that tattoo on Zac's ass?" he asks which makes me rip the picture from his hands to examine it closer, my heart stopping as I can plainly indeed see a tattoo on his ass. A cross with mine, his and Junia's initials in it.
"B...but Zac doesn't have that," I speak knowing that I haven't seen that on him since he has been with me since being back.
Before Taylor can respond back to me with both hear a loud knock on the bedroom door making me drop the picture to the ground. There standing in my bedroom doorway is Zac holding a gun right at us.
"You know," Zac speaks as he inches farther into the room. "You really shouldn't have showed that too her Taylor," he snears as he grabs me suddenly, holding the gun to my head much like he did during sex, though this time I don't feel safe or turned on. "Because now I am going to have to kill her."
Taylor shakes his head as he steps closer which causes Zac to move back, his arm on me tightening. "Not so fast or I put a bullet in her precious head," he snaps. "I didn't want to do that until you two met our other party guests. You see I brought them here because I was hoping Avery would do me the honors of killing them though I didn't expect you to be here Taylor. I killed one before we got here but that was because she wouldn't stop running her damn mouth when I told her to shut the fuck up."
Swallowing when he said he had already killed one of them I turn my head slowly, "W..who did you kill?" I ask as my voice cracks.
"Well I can assure old blue eyes over there it wasn't his wife," Zac answers me and I can see a look of relief washing over Taylor's face. "But poor Shepherd...my...oldest child's mother is no longer with us anymore. Her body is now in my truck bed covered by a blanket. She took a bullet right in the middle of her eyes. Much easier death than Carrick's."
I feel tears going down my cheek as Zac talks about all of this. The way he sounds almost gleeful at killing Kate. The way he sounds gleeful at Carrick's death. This isn't the man I love. There is no way he is really Zac.
"Who are your other two guests?" Taylor asks Zac as he steps closer to him which again causes Zac to move back with me. "You said you had two? If you killed Kate that just leaves you Natalie."
Zac nods as he backs away some more until we are in the hallway. "Well come and see for yourself Taylor," he mutters moving his hand with the gun away from my head long enough to motion Taylor out of the room.
Taylor takes his cue, exiting my room and heading down the hallway, a hallway which Zac soon leads me down, gun still held to my head. When we make it to the living room I stop in my tracks staring at the two people in blindfolds on my couch. One is Natalie but the other...the other is Zac as well.
Tensing up I turn my head slightly, "Y..you aren't Zac," I tell him watching as he moves away from me finally and goes over to Natalie and Zac.
"You are right Avie baby," Zac mocks as he takes the blindfold off of the man on my couch. "This here is your precious Zac," he smiles before kissing his cheek. "I am Sam."
Swallowing hard at his revelation I lock eyes with Zac as he sits on the couch clearly looking terrified. Terrified and afraid. I can't blame him because I too am terrified and afraid.
"Sam?" I ask the guy who is standing with the gun. "You're name has always been Sam? You're the guy I left with at the bar?" I ask feeling nauseas as I think about it. "The guy who beat Carrick up and bought this place? The guy who had sex with me while I was blindfolded?"
Sam shakes his head no to my questions, "I was at the bar that night," he smiles as he undoes Natalie's blindfold as well. "But I wasn't the one you left with. You see your precious Zac was there too. He is the one who punched me when I tried to leave with you. He is the one who brought you home. I followed him and then kidnapped him when he left. The blindfold sex wasn't me either," he mutters. "That again was your precious Zac," Sam smiles as he pulls Zac up from the couch undoing his hands and handing him the gun.
"As for Carrick...I didn't punch him. Zac did that after he found out he was cheating on you. Though I did kill him..I killed him after setting him up for the letters I was sending you about Bree's paternity," Sam laughs as if he has won some kind of prize. "I never expected all my plans to come together so well," he smirks as he walks away from Zac after handing him the gun.
Looking at Zac who now holds the gun I turn to Sam, "You don't want me to kill your last guests do you?" I ask as I shake my head. "You want Zac to kill everyone."
Sam just nods as he steps closer to me, "It has to be this way Avery," he whispers as he leans close to my face. "So that I can have him all to myself."
Nodding at Sam's words I move away from him turning to look at Zac. "You know what you have to do," I tell him as I watch Taylor go over to Natalie who he puts his arms around. Natalie is hysterical and Taylor looks close to being the same way. "I'd die for love and Sam loves you," I tell Zac resigned to my fate. "I'd die for love so kill me. Kill me so you can be with Sam," I smile seeing a pained expression cross Zac's face.
Feeling my heart beat faster as Zac raises the gun I nod slowly before seeing his finger go to the trigger. Closing my eyes I count to three before ducking seconds before the gun does fire. Opening my eyes after counting to three again I watch as Sam lands beside me on the floor a bullet hole now in his head. A bullet hole that probably matches the ones he gave Kate and Carrick.
Ignoring the tears now going down my cheek I stand up slowly watching as Zac drops the gun to the floor before coming over to me. Backing away from him I shake my head.
"Let me see your ass first," I spit out wanting to make sure this time that I am really talking to Zac and that Sam hasn't conned his way into living. "I want to see your tattoo," I nod expecting him to drop his pants in front of Natalie and Taylor as well. Hell it's not like Taylor hasn't seen his ass before either. As for Natalie she is already emotionally damaged from Sam, I really don't think seeing Zac's ass could make it worse.
Zac just gives me a look before complying. Undoing his jeans and dropping his boxers just far enough to show the tattoo that he had in the pictures with Taylor.
"You can put your pants back on," I say feeling relief too that Sam is the dead one on the floor. Walking over to Taylor and Natalie I stand Natalie up, undoing her hands. "We need to call the cops," I whisper feeling as if everything is falling apart. How could I have been so duped by Sam? How could I have let Sam have sex with me? How could I let him around my kids?
"We have to tell them everything Sam has done," I finally breakdown as I fall to the floor. "How he killed Carrick, made him seem so guilty. How he had sex with me when I thought he was Zac," I creak out as I feel arms go around me. Turning my head I look at Zac sadly not able to finish the rest of my words. Instead I just continue to cry as Zac pulls me closer.
I can hear Zac talking to Taylor giving him orders but I don't register them. I don't register anything anymore right now. I think I am too much of a wreck to do that.
Waking with a jolt in my bed, I look around the room as I hear a banging on the door. A loud incessant banging that I am sure wants to be answered. Begrudgingly I stand getting out of the bed not caring that I am still in my pajamas or that my hair is thrown into a now messy bun.
"I'm coming," I yell as I make it out into the living room, the knocking finally stopping after I yell. Reaching the door I throw it open giving Taylor a look as he raises his hand about to knock again.
Taylor just blushes before pushing his way in. "Have you seen Kate?" he asks concern dripping out of his voice. "She and Natalie are both missing," he informs me which makes me slam my door shut behind him.
"But you said yesterday you had seen her," I say shaking my head, not understand how they can be missing.
Taylor nods, "I had but today they both dropped the kids off at moms. Said something about how you had called them to talk about some things from the past," he continues sounding confused.
"I didn't call them," I tell him as I go to the couch and sit down. "Did they mention what things from the past?" I ask confused by that comment.
Taylor goes silent as he starts to pace back and fort in my living room, "I'd reckon the day they made you leave after giving birth to Junia."
I feel my eyes widen at Taylor's words, "You knew Natalie played a part in that?" I ask feeling just a bit hurt that he had known but not said anything.
"Natalie came by last night and confessed everything. Said she wanted us to try to start new with no secrets. Z..Zac was upstairs," he adds as if finally realizing something. "Shit," he mutters as he stops pacing back and forth. "He heard us, heard her."
I close my eyes knowing why Taylor is worried now. Zac had killed Carrick because he had threatened me. Now Kate and Natalie were missing after Natalie confessed her part in my leaving after the birth of Junia. "Y..you don't think Zac took them do you?" I ask feeling hesistant because of his answer. I know it's going to be a yes.
Taylor nods his head yes as he sits down next to me, "I don't even think Zac is Zac," he says looking right at me.
"What do you mean by that?" I mutter in confusion not understanding how Zac isn't Zac. Of course Zac is Zac.
Taylor runs a hand through his hair before looking away from me. "Where are the pics that Sadie gave you?" he asks as he finally speaks. "I told you to look them over but obviously you haven't done that yet otherwise you would know what I mean. Otherwise you wouldn't still be so naive to the changes in Zac's attitude lately."
Glaring when he calls me naive I stand from the couch, walking towards my bedroom where I had hidden the pictures in the top drawer. I can feel Taylor walking behind me but I don't say anything to him. Instead I let him follow me. Opening the drawer once I am in the bedroom I get out the pictures and hand them over to Taylor. "Show me whatever it is that would make me less naive oh wise one," I snap off a little harsh.
I cross my arms as Taylor flips through the pictures finally finding one and holding it out to where I can see it. "Do you see that tattoo on Zac's ass?" he asks which makes me rip the picture from his hands to examine it closer, my heart stopping as I can plainly indeed see a tattoo on his ass. A cross with mine, his and Junia's initials in it.
"B...but Zac doesn't have that," I speak knowing that I haven't seen that on him since he has been with me since being back.
Before Taylor can respond back to me with both hear a loud knock on the bedroom door making me drop the picture to the ground. There standing in my bedroom doorway is Zac holding a gun right at us.
"You know," Zac speaks as he inches farther into the room. "You really shouldn't have showed that too her Taylor," he snears as he grabs me suddenly, holding the gun to my head much like he did during sex, though this time I don't feel safe or turned on. "Because now I am going to have to kill her."
Taylor shakes his head as he steps closer which causes Zac to move back, his arm on me tightening. "Not so fast or I put a bullet in her precious head," he snaps. "I didn't want to do that until you two met our other party guests. You see I brought them here because I was hoping Avery would do me the honors of killing them though I didn't expect you to be here Taylor. I killed one before we got here but that was because she wouldn't stop running her damn mouth when I told her to shut the fuck up."
Swallowing when he said he had already killed one of them I turn my head slowly, "W..who did you kill?" I ask as my voice cracks.
"Well I can assure old blue eyes over there it wasn't his wife," Zac answers me and I can see a look of relief washing over Taylor's face. "But poor Shepherd...my...oldest child's mother is no longer with us anymore. Her body is now in my truck bed covered by a blanket. She took a bullet right in the middle of her eyes. Much easier death than Carrick's."
I feel tears going down my cheek as Zac talks about all of this. The way he sounds almost gleeful at killing Kate. The way he sounds gleeful at Carrick's death. This isn't the man I love. There is no way he is really Zac.
"Who are your other two guests?" Taylor asks Zac as he steps closer to him which again causes Zac to move back with me. "You said you had two? If you killed Kate that just leaves you Natalie."
Zac nods as he backs away some more until we are in the hallway. "Well come and see for yourself Taylor," he mutters moving his hand with the gun away from my head long enough to motion Taylor out of the room.
Taylor takes his cue, exiting my room and heading down the hallway, a hallway which Zac soon leads me down, gun still held to my head. When we make it to the living room I stop in my tracks staring at the two people in blindfolds on my couch. One is Natalie but the other...the other is Zac as well.
Tensing up I turn my head slightly, "Y..you aren't Zac," I tell him watching as he moves away from me finally and goes over to Natalie and Zac.
"You are right Avie baby," Zac mocks as he takes the blindfold off of the man on my couch. "This here is your precious Zac," he smiles before kissing his cheek. "I am Sam."
Swallowing hard at his revelation I lock eyes with Zac as he sits on the couch clearly looking terrified. Terrified and afraid. I can't blame him because I too am terrified and afraid.
"Sam?" I ask the guy who is standing with the gun. "You're name has always been Sam? You're the guy I left with at the bar?" I ask feeling nauseas as I think about it. "The guy who beat Carrick up and bought this place? The guy who had sex with me while I was blindfolded?"
Sam shakes his head no to my questions, "I was at the bar that night," he smiles as he undoes Natalie's blindfold as well. "But I wasn't the one you left with. You see your precious Zac was there too. He is the one who punched me when I tried to leave with you. He is the one who brought you home. I followed him and then kidnapped him when he left. The blindfold sex wasn't me either," he mutters. "That again was your precious Zac," Sam smiles as he pulls Zac up from the couch undoing his hands and handing him the gun.
"As for Carrick...I didn't punch him. Zac did that after he found out he was cheating on you. Though I did kill him..I killed him after setting him up for the letters I was sending you about Bree's paternity," Sam laughs as if he has won some kind of prize. "I never expected all my plans to come together so well," he smirks as he walks away from Zac after handing him the gun.
Looking at Zac who now holds the gun I turn to Sam, "You don't want me to kill your last guests do you?" I ask as I shake my head. "You want Zac to kill everyone."
Sam just nods as he steps closer to me, "It has to be this way Avery," he whispers as he leans close to my face. "So that I can have him all to myself."
Nodding at Sam's words I move away from him turning to look at Zac. "You know what you have to do," I tell him as I watch Taylor go over to Natalie who he puts his arms around. Natalie is hysterical and Taylor looks close to being the same way. "I'd die for love and Sam loves you," I tell Zac resigned to my fate. "I'd die for love so kill me. Kill me so you can be with Sam," I smile seeing a pained expression cross Zac's face.
Feeling my heart beat faster as Zac raises the gun I nod slowly before seeing his finger go to the trigger. Closing my eyes I count to three before ducking seconds before the gun does fire. Opening my eyes after counting to three again I watch as Sam lands beside me on the floor a bullet hole now in his head. A bullet hole that probably matches the ones he gave Kate and Carrick.
Ignoring the tears now going down my cheek I stand up slowly watching as Zac drops the gun to the floor before coming over to me. Backing away from him I shake my head.
"Let me see your ass first," I spit out wanting to make sure this time that I am really talking to Zac and that Sam hasn't conned his way into living. "I want to see your tattoo," I nod expecting him to drop his pants in front of Natalie and Taylor as well. Hell it's not like Taylor hasn't seen his ass before either. As for Natalie she is already emotionally damaged from Sam, I really don't think seeing Zac's ass could make it worse.
Zac just gives me a look before complying. Undoing his jeans and dropping his boxers just far enough to show the tattoo that he had in the pictures with Taylor.
"You can put your pants back on," I say feeling relief too that Sam is the dead one on the floor. Walking over to Taylor and Natalie I stand Natalie up, undoing her hands. "We need to call the cops," I whisper feeling as if everything is falling apart. How could I have been so duped by Sam? How could I have let Sam have sex with me? How could I let him around my kids?
"We have to tell them everything Sam has done," I finally breakdown as I fall to the floor. "How he killed Carrick, made him seem so guilty. How he had sex with me when I thought he was Zac," I creak out as I feel arms go around me. Turning my head I look at Zac sadly not able to finish the rest of my words. Instead I just continue to cry as Zac pulls me closer.
I can hear Zac talking to Taylor giving him orders but I don't register them. I don't register anything anymore right now. I think I am too much of a wreck to do that.