"You can't just ask someone that," Jayden tells his brother. "Hey, you were thinking it too. You're just mad I asked first." Jack whined. Jerry glared at the boy, not sure what to say. "Doesn't matter. You don't ask someone that. Especially a lady." Jayden grits between his teeth. Jack asked her about their father, that's all he asked. He wanted to know where they'd met, how, and what it was like. That's all he wanted to know. It's not an odd question to ask. Anyone who knows about the case has always wondered how and why. You actually don't have to know anything about the matter. As soon as someone is kidnapped and threatened with death, everyone wonders how anyone could ever trust such a person. A stranger. Who trusts a stranger? And there must have been something odd about that stranger, right? Those are the most common responses people can have. Because why would you trust a stranger? "Ma'am, I am sorry about him," Jayden tells her, using his charming and charismatic look to make her feel a bit more comfortable. "Don't be mean, Jayden," Megan spoke up. Jayden turned to look at her. "Defending him again, are you? You can't ask someone that. How would you feel if someone came up to you, out of the blue, and asked how you could've ever trusted your kidnapper who tried to kill you?" Jayden asked her with the sweetest and most thoughtful voice he could use. He didn't want her to get upset. "I'd tell them I trust them with my life. Might I remind you there wasn't just one, there were three. And I am still defending you with all I have. Jack is just curious about what happened. And he wasn't a jerk about it."
Leah looked at Jack with a kind smile. "It's alright. I understand why you'd ask me. The thing is... it's not the easiest thing to talk about." Jack nods his head. "I get it. I was being curious. Sorry, ma'am." Jack apologized. Guilt isn't the right word to describe what Jack feels. He feels like a kid whose mother just told him that he did something wrong but it was okay in their sweet motherly voice. That gut-wrenching and heart-twisting feeling you'd get as a kid. "You don't need to apologize for that, sweetheart," Leah assures him. The woman shifted in her seat to get more comfortable and sat a bit closer to Jack. "You ask and I'll answer if I want to. Sound good?" She tries to reason with him. The boys have a lot of questions that have only ever been answered by rumors, Bill, Louis, or they answered themselves. "Ma'am you don't have to do this," Jerry reassures her. Leah looks up at the boy. "No, it's fine. If I'm uncomfortable to talk about it, I don't say anything. It's my choice. And it could be good to talk to someone about it." Leah's husband knows what happened and is always willing to listen to her, he is very supportive, but Leah doesn't like talking about it. Especially with her husband. Her kids, of course, don't know. There is no need for them to know. "How did he... well like I said before, how did Bill, like, persuade you? He couldn't have been that hot." Jack repeated his question, with a different choice of words this time.
Leah gives him a small smile. "Uh, Bill is uh... was a charming man. Believe it or not, he used to be the pretty boy in town for as long as I can remember. He was older, for sure, but his boyish charisma... There wasn't a girl in town that didn't swoon over him. The older, hot guy in town." Leah tells them. "It's hard to believe that. He's not good-looking now, I doubt he was back then." Jack replied. "Rude. I look the most like him." Jayden says as he glares at his brother. "Point proven." Jayden wanted to hit his brother. Hard. He deserves it. "Mom fell for him." Jerry cuts in. "Yeah, but Mom was too sweet to say no." "Hence why Jayden's still here. She didn't want to give him up for adoption." Jack says. Leah laughed a little as the boys started arguing over how unattractive their father was back in the day and more insults flew across the room. Jack and Jayden were pointing fingers at one another already and both were ready to jump at each other while Jerry just shook his head in disappointment. "Guys!" The two arguing boys snapped their heads toward the girl. "Mrs. Elms is trying to answer your question." The boys sheepishly apologized to the woman and lowered their heads. "It's fine." Leah smiles. "Bill was very sweet. He bought me, and my friends, flowers sometimes and told us we were very pretty. We were young, we had no idea what we would be getting ourselves into. Selena was the first to say yes, even if she had a boyfriend at the time. It was Bill Salvini with his partner in crime Louis. Any girl would've said yes." Leah continues, "They kept talking about this little cottage that belonged to one of their parents. They were going there for the weekend and they asked us if we wanted to come with them."
"But you thought he was your friend," Megan filled in. Leah nodded. "As I said, we were young. We thought we'd be popular and all that because we hung out with older dudes. And we were. Bill especially wasn't one to hide his affection. Everyone knew we were the lucky girls. Selena, our other friend, and me." Leah said, "When the weekend arrived, the boys were incredibly sweet toward us. They were gentlemen. I remember when Bill lifted us over this fallen tree or something like that so we wouldn't have to struggle over it." Megan turned her head to Jayden who was already looking at her. He lifted her over that same tree. A small chill runs up her spine. Jayden's the most like him. It wouldn't leave her mind. "We had a little party the first night. We didn't think anything of it. But... uh... when we woke up the next day... I- I uh..." Leah seemed to shut down as she thought back to that morning. "You don't have to tell us if you don't want to." Jerry reminds her. Leah shakes her head and blinks a few times. "No, no, it's fine." She said. But she didn't seem fine. "We had tubes... and uh, our hands were tied above our- our heads. Our clothes were- they'd torn up the clothes we were wearing so they'd have better access." Leah stammered as she spoke. She jerked when she looked up at the three boys. Megan quickly grabbed the woman's hands. "Hey, hey, he's not here." She says assuringly. "Ma'am, can I get you some water?" Jerry suggested. Leah nodded her head a little. "Yes, please. Top left cabinet in the kitchen over there." She instructs the boy before he jumps up from his seat.
"S-sorry I just... the images started playing in my head again." Leah apologized. But there was nothing to apologize for. This was going to happen sooner or later. "No need for that, Ma'am. We're sorry that our father did this to you. And our uncle." Jayden spoke up. Leah's lips formed a weak smile. "You don't have to say that, sweetheart." She says, "And Louis saved me. He's kind of my friend. Which is a strange thing to say, I realize that, but he is. I would've been dead if it wasn't for him." Leah tells the boys and Megan. Jerry returned with a glass of water and overheard what she'd just said. "Louis saved you?" Leah nodded her head as she took a sip of her drink. "Thank you, sweetheart."
"So, that's how you two know each other. I thought you were his secret wife or something." Jayden chuckles. Leah was silent for a second. "Wait..." Leah laughed awkwardly. "No, he's not." She said. "But something did happen between you two, didn't it? Oh my god, you two did it, didn't you?" Jayden replied with wide eyes. "You did the devil's tango with Louis?! Mrs. Elms, you're a real badass. Kind of sick too, but badass! Sleeping with the best friend and partner in crime of your kidnapper? Damn, Mrs. Elms!" Jack praised the woman. "Louis? For real? Uncle Louis?" Leah shrugged. "He's a gentleman and cared for me deeply. He still does. What was I supposed to do? He saved my life. We dated for three years in secret." Leah explains. "Dated? Is that what you call that? And for three years?! Mrs. Elms. No wonder you're in such good shape." Jayden gives her a mischievous boyish grin. Megan slapped the back of Jayden's head harshly. "Ha!" Jack cheered.
YOU ARE READING
A Wolf's Purpose
Mystery / Thriller• Sequel to: A Wolf's Betrayal After turning in her brothers, Jade has become a part of 'The Pack'. As time goes on, she discovers more about her father's past. She's very determined to find all the answers. Meanwhile, her brothers are stuck behind...