Falling Apart, Together✓

Chapter Eleven

I tried calling Archer again but it went straight to voicemail. "Damn it! Can't you go any faster?" I ask Ransom, annoyed.

"Of course I can but I'm not really feeling getting a speeding ticket."

"And something tells me the cop would be ok with it if we're telling him we're trying to stop a murder." I quip.

"Ok fine." he says and speeds up, getting us to his parents' house in no time. I jump out of the car when I see Archer's truck in the drive.

We burst through the front door and see Archer standing over Richard who's almost unrecognizable in his current state. "Archer stop!" I yell, motioning for Ransom to go grab him. He looks like he wants to argue but one look at my face and he's crossing the room, grabbing my brother and dragging him off his father.

I look over the damage that he did to Richard's face. "We need to get him checked out." I say.

"You can't be serious?! After everything he's done, you want to help him?" Archer yells with Ransom nodding in agreement.

"Because, idiot, you had to go and do something stupid. He can press charges now. Ransom, do you have Marta's number?" I turn to him.

"Who?"

"Marta, Gramp's new nurse?" He still looks confused. "Ugh! You really need to treat the people who he employs better. Actually take the time to learn their names." I say before ringing Harlan.

"Hi Gramps. Is Marta still at your house?... She is, great! Yeah, can you put her on?... Thank you... Hi Marta, it's Bentley... I was wondering if you could help me out with something." The boys start to vocalize their hatred but I silence them with a look. "So we've had a bit of a situation and I was wondering how good you are with first aid? I mean obviously you're amazing since Gramps hired you but this is... pretty big... Yeah we can bring him over but can you maybe meet us in the greenhouse? Yeah it's bad and I don't want to upset anyone anymore than the events of today already have... Thank you... Yeah we'll be there in fifteen. We'll come up the service road so just wait for us at the back patio until you see Archer's truck... I owe you so big... Thank you... Yeah see you soon... Bye." I say before hanging up.

Both of them look at me. "Gather him up. Marta's going to clean him up."

"But why?"

"Because we're going to strike a deal with him once he's stable. Let's go."

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"Thank you so much for helping us Marta." I say as she finishes up with Richard. 

"It was nothing really." She tries to assure me. We were all in the greenhouse and Marta had done a phenomenal job fixing Richard's face. Thankfully he was coherent again and I had threatened the state of his manhood if he so much as made a sound. He wisely kept his mouth shut.

Marta steps away, her work done. "I owe you big for this." I say, giving her a hug.

"You really don't."

"Yes I do. You name it, it's yours. Just let me know. But also, maybe don't mention this to anyone up in the house." She nods before leaving back up to the house and I turn to Richard. 

"Here's what's going to happen next. You're going to pack your shit up and leave town. You will not press charges or I will give your DNA to the police and have them open a formal investigation into that rape kit that was collected years ago."

"That was fourteen years ago. The statute of limitation..."

"Runs out next year. For rape cases in the great state of Massachusetts, the statute of limitations runs up fifteen years after the incident. I should know what I'm talking about. I interned at my dad's law firm for years. I'm sure I know the laws pretty well for someone who's never studied law." He pales at this before nodding his head and leaving.

"How's he getting home?" Archer asks.

"Don't know, don't care. He's no longer our problem." I say, watching him run up the hill and disappear over it before turning back to Archer and Ransom.

"Have I ever told you how hot it is when you're demanding?" Ransom asks, undressing me with his eyes. I smirk at him, looking him up and down.

"Oh gross! On that note, I'm leaving. I'll take Mom with me."

"Thank you Archer. Let Mom know that I won't be home tonight."

"Gross, but fine." He says before walking out too.

"Where are you staying tonight?" Ransom asks, coming up behind me, moving my hair out of the way so he could suck on the juncture where my neck and shoulder meet. I sigh deeply, eyes rolling into the back of my head. I move my head to the side, allowing him better access.

"I'm staying at your place. I thought that was obvious." I say turning around and locking my arms around his neck, pulling him down to me, capturing his lips in mine. He lifts me up and I wrap my legs around him as he slams my back against the windows, hungrily attacking my mouth. 

I kiss him back just as passionately, moaning into his mouth as I felt him press up against me, applying the most delicious amount of friction. "Wait, wait, wait." I say against him lips. 

"What?"

"How are we getting home? Your car is at your mom's and I don't have one here."

"Shit!" he says. I laugh. "You think this is funny, do you?" he says with a playful smirk.

"No, just par for the course with us. Get us an Uber to your place. We'll worry about cars in the morning." In no time we're in the Uber, trying our hardest to keep our hands to ourselves until the front door to his house is safely shut behind us. And then he turns to me, a feral grin crossing his face. Oh I'm not going to be able to walk tomorrow.