One Step Closer(39)

“She’ll—”

“I never want to see that f*cking shit covering up your face or that wig hiding your hair again!” Wren started to protest and Caleb held up his hand to stop her words. “I’ll deal with Veronica. She won’t hurt you, I promise.”

He fell back on the pillows exhausted, the exertion making him cough and the spasms sending pain rocketing through his midsection. “Aw, f*ck.”

Wren had hovered for a couple of seconds then reached into her back pocket for her phone. “You should go to the hospital, Cale.”

He shook his head and put a hand to stop her from calling an ambulance. “No. I’ll be okay. I’ve had worse beatings than this.” He huffed softly, lying back again. “You did a good job taping me up. Can you get me some water, please?”

Wren had gone to the master suite and rummaged through the medicine cabinet to find a vile of Vicodin and brought it, along with a glass of water to him.

“Take one of these. It says on the label it’s for pain.”

Caleb didn’t question where she got the pills, he just downed the one she handed him and closed his eyes. She spent the night, and the next, on the couch in the entertainment room in the basement, so she could check on Caleb and hear him if he needed anything. She’d nursed him, brought him food, and helped him back and forth to the bathroom; until a few days later when he was able to move around by himself. She’d even skipped school to take care of him. When his dad and Veronica came back from their trip two weeks later, Caleb could move without grimacing, his bruised face and knuckles were healed, and Wren… was Wren.

The shock on Veronica’s face when she’d returned to see her daughter without the disguise had been priceless. Edison had been quietly astonished for a split second, but then nodded his silent approval, and went about his business like nothing had changed.

The morning after their return, his dad had gone to Lux and Caleb stayed by Wren for the inevitable confrontation that would come from his step-hag. Wren had been pensive but Caleb had reassured her he’d be by her side through it all. They’d been having breakfast in the kitchen when Veronica marched into the kitchen for coffee at a time when Jonesy had been cleaning in the other room.

“Caleb, I’d like to speak to Wren.”

“Isn’t she gorgeous?” he’d asked casually, and set down his spoon, locking eyes with Veronica, and silently throwing down the gauntlet. “Who knew? Oh, right. You did.”

Wren sat as still as stone next to Caleb, unable to meet her mother’s eyes, fear keeping her quiet. It made Caleb physically sick that Wren would be so intimidated and afraid of this vapid woman.

He stood up and moved to stand in the space between where Wren was sitting at the table and Veronica stood in front of the refrigerator, his voice deadly calm. “You won’t touch her again. You won’t tell her what to eat or not eat. You won’t tell her how to dress or make her ashamed of how beautiful she is. You won’t raise your hand or your voice to her, ever again.”

Veronica had cackled in her shrill, waspish laugh; casually brushing off his threat. “Shut up, Caleb. You’re just a kid no one cares about. Your father will—”

Something inside Caleb snapped at her harsh words. He bolted into action, grabbing Veronica, turning quickly and roughly pushing her up against the wall. The entire thing took less than a second. He used his forearm to press against her chest, using his weight in to hold her still. Wren gasped loudly at Caleb’s show of force, but remained unmoving. His ribs weren’t one hundred percent and his movements caused him a great deal of pain, but it was masked with his anger.

Caleb’s face was inches from Veronica’s; so close he could feel her breath on his face as she gasped and exhaled in her surprise at his abrupt actions.

“Look, you don’t know me, but I can make you disappear. Literally.” He leaned in even closer so he could lower his voice; looking down as he towered over her. “So don’t. Fuck. With. Me.” He punctuated each word for emphasis. “I know everything, you vain, wicked bitch. Touch Wren again and I promise you’ll be very, very sorry.”

He had lied because he didn’t really know everything Veronica had subjected Wren to, but he could guess. It was only after she felt safe that she’d shared the details of how Veronica beat her, starved her, berated her and made her hide inside herself, behind that horrible black wig, and harsh makeup. She told him that she dealt with the emotional abuse, by starting to self-mutilate.

“Do you understand me?”

Veronica had met his eyes and sneered, her bright red lips contorting in a hateful expression. “Your father won’t stand—”

Caleb’s lips lifted in a devious smile as he simultaneously gave his stepmother another sharp shove. “My father is a lot of things, but he’s my father. Haven’t you paid attention? I can do any damn thing I want and he’ll bail me out. That’s the beauty of it. Your * isn’t so amazing that he’d forsake me or sully his precious company and the Lux name. Trust me.”

Veronica stilled, shocked from the bluntness of his words and the realness of his threat. She no longer struggled to free herself from Caleb’s grasp, her eyes meeting the blue steel of his, but her features belied an untouchable and conceited smugness that told Caleb she wasn’t backing down. Hate welled up inside his chest and he wanted to pound his fist into her smug expression.