Dark Boundaries(61)

I hear a gasp and only then do I see Liza standing in the doorway. Oh no! Her face pales. “What is she talking about?” I can clearly hear the fear in her wavering voice.

“Nothing! It’s really nothing,” I say darting forward.

“No,” Kelly yells, “she should know what her sons did!”

I shake my head at Kelly begging her with my eyes.

She jabs a finger in Liza’s direction. “Your sons kidnapped us in Vegas. They locked us away like animals.” Kelly’s voice drips with venom. “Your son forced himself on Riza threatening to hurt me!”

Liza staggers back into the hallway. She looks horrified. “Liza, no!” I rush to her but Garrett steps between us and I come to stumbling halt. I turn back to Kelly feeling a frantic need to silence her.

“You’re a fucking animal,” she screams at Garrett. “This whole family is fucked up.” Kelly turns back to face Riza. “You have a choice. Please don’t do this. You don’t love him. He brainwashed you. Don’t let him force you into marrying him!” Kelly points in my direction. “Look at Kristine. She came to her senses. She didn’t let Garrett manipulate her. We love you, Sis! Please don’t do this.”

“Kelly,” my voice cracks under the emotion. She doesn’t hear me and I reach for her, grabbing hold of her arm. “Kelly! You’re wrong.” Her eyes widen and she yanks free from me. “I love him. I love Garrett. It’s not because I’m brainwashed or being threatened. He let me go. He didn’t want me, but I still love him. Justin is not forcing Riza. She’s marrying him because she loves him.”

“I can’t stand and watch her make the biggest mistake of her life!” Kelly says with so much hurt in her voice. She gives Riza one more pleading look before she leaves.

I run after Kelly, hoping to change her mind. As we reach the bottom of the stairs I grab her arm again. I need to make this all right. It’s Riza’s wedding day! It needs to be perfect. “Please, Kelly! This is a special day for one of your best friends. She really loves him.”

“I love her too much to watch her destroy her life.” Kelly leaves me standing at the bottom of the stairs with the mess she caused.

“Is it true?” I hear Liza’s trembling voice. My heart sinks, just thinking how hurt she must feel right now. I look up at her and I wish I could say none of it was true. Garrett places his hand on her shoulder, but she turns on him. She’s so pale. “Did you kidnap these girls?”

“Mom, we did it for Andrea. It was the only way to get her home,” Garrett pleads with his mom.

“No! That’s not how I raised you! You don’t take two wrongs to make a right,” she cries.

My heart hurts for Liza and Garrett. She was never supposed to find out. She’d been through enough. Justin also appears at the top of the stairs. He sees Riza crying and his mom’s pale face.

I need to do some damage control and fast! “He didn’t hurt me,” I say in the hopes of salvaging the day. “Liza, they didn’t hurt us. If it weren’t for Garrett and Justin we’d be dead. They took care of us.”

Liza comes down the stairs and I think she’s about to slap me, but instead she cups my face with both her hands. “Tell me the truth, Kristine! Did they take you against your will? Tell me what happened!”

I take hold of her wrists, to comfort her with my touch. I know I can’t tell her everything, it will kill her. “A man named Warren took us. Garrett and Justin were there, looking for Andrea. If they weren’t there Warren would have killed Riza and then me. There was another man, Eric,” I swallow hard on the nausea the retelling is making me feel, “he beat me and Garrett stopped him. Garrett told me about Andrea and I decided out of my own free will to help him get her. They could’ve left us at the auction after getting Andrea, but they didn’t. They bought our freedom.”

Liza wipes a tear from her cheek. “Did he rape you?” The question is cold and heartbroken.

I shake my head, my own tears falling now. “No. He protected me.”

Liza grabs me to her chest and I hug her as tight as I can. She cries heartbrokenly into my shoulder. My eyes meet Garret’s over his mom’s shoulder and he mouths the words, “Thank you,” to me.

~*~





Chapter Forty Seven



Garrett~

Well that was a shit-fest. It’s a wonder Mom didn’t rip my head off and spit down my throat. After Kristine salvaged the mess, Mom proceeded to give me and Justin a piece of her mind. We listened, because we deserved it. Kristine made us sound like heroes, but I know better.