Forgiving Nancy (Last Hangman MC, #5)(67)
“I had no idea, Nancy. I wish we could have found you and saved you from this nightmare sooner. You need a good man to live your life now. You need to think about your future.” Yep, it was the swear words that caused her pained expression.
“Did you even listen to what I f*cking said? I was raped multiple times a day for five years and that’s all you can say? I don’t want a f*cking good man in my life; I already have the perfect one waiting for me at home!” I yell at her.
“No Nancy, this is home and we have the perfect man for you.” She smirks.
“What the f*ck are you talking about? I ask dumbfounded.
“You see, my plan worked perfectly. You were so absorbed in your little romance with Bennett that I knew you would be so terrified of something happening to him that you would run straight here. This has played out exactly like I wanted. You came here on your own free will, but you won’t be going back, oh no, you’ll stay here with us and marry George.” She smirks.
“You are one twisted f*cking bitch!”
“Don’t you dare talk to me like that!” She yells and backhands me before I can react. “You’re going to go on a date with him tonight and we’ll announce your engagement in the next few days. Everything has already been planned with his family. Once you’re married, we’ll hold more power in the country club and have more money, of course.”
“Of course you will.” I shake my head. “This is so f*cked up and you’ve lost your damn minds if you think I’m going to get married to a f*cking stranger without kicking up a storm!”
“You’ll do as you’re told or Bennett will die. It’s no idle threat, Nancy. I’ll find a way to get rid of him, I’m sure the private investigator I hired to find you wouldn’t mind killing him and making it look like an accident.” I can feel the blood drain from my face as I listen to her. I know perfectly well what she’s like and what she’s capable of. She wouldn’t hesitate to sink lower than hell if it’s beneficial to her. “Now go to your room, you need to get out of these clothes and get ready, you look like a homeless person. And don’t try anything funny, I know you’ll try all you can to run away, just don’t.” She looks down at me with a look of disdain that has me wondering what happened to my sweet but strong mother. Oh yeah, that f*cking CUNTry Club.
I walk upstairs, feeling lost and defeated. I want nothing more than to call Callum and ask him to come rescue me, but it’ll only make things worse. She’ll go bat shit crazy and will order that PI to kill Bennett and probably Callum too.
I open the door to my teenage bedroom and see that everything has changed, it’s like they pretended that I still lived here. The room has been redecorated to look more sophisticated and something like a twenty something year old Country Club Barbie would live in. Everything is brand new and clean. Gone are my drawings and photos that plastered the walls and actually, all of my things are gone. It’s like they’ve turned this room into what they wanted me to be: a boring, generic rich brat.
I open the walk in closet and see a shit load of outfits, all a hell of a lot more conservative than what I would wear.
I feel trapped.
My life is one massive f*cked up vicious circle and I’m starting to think that I’ll never truly be free.
I finish getting ready for this ridiculous dinner and look at my reflection in the mirror. I don’t recognize the woman staring back at me. I still look the same, but over the past couple of weeks, a sparkle had come back into my eyes. I was smiling and I was happy, even with the threat hanging over my head. Now, I look dead, I can’t even force myself to smile. I left my happiness in a hospital bed in New Orleans.
“Are you ready? George is downstairs already, you don’t make a gentleman wait,” my mother scolds me from behind the closed door.
“Gentleman my ass,” I mutter to myself. “I’m coming,” I call out to her before opening the door.
“That’s a lot better. Now smile.” She glares at me and I plaster a fake smile on my face which I’m sure must look like I’m either grimacing or am constipated.
I walk downstairs behind my mother and into the living room where my father is chatting with a stranger whom I’m guessing is George. Any woman would be more than happy to go on a date with this George chap with his broad shoulders, bright smile, blue eyes and perfectly styled blonde hair but I’m bored just from looking at him. He’s dressed in a nice suit but it screams money and I have no interest in that kind of thing. I sigh as I look at the trust fund baby and follow my mother further into the room. He’s the complete opposite of Bennett and I want to run back upstairs and hide forever. Funnily enough the idea of locking myself in the attic sounds a lot more pleasant that spending the evening with this guy.
“Nancy, you look beautiful,” he says and smiles a perfect charming smile at me before kissing the back of my hand. At first glance he looked like the perfect gentleman but now, after seeing him up close, he looks more like creepy than gentlemanly. If he could tear his eyes away from my chest, that’d be great.
“Thanks, can we go? I’m starving.” I’m not, but I’ll say anything to make this ‘date’ as short as possible.
“Of course.” His smile tightens and my mother pinches my side.
“What? I’m hungry.” I roll my eyes as I walk out of the house and to a car that’s parked outside. Of course he has a chauffeur, wouldn’t want to risk ruining those perfectly manicured nails now, would we? His nails are in better condition than mine! He definitely goes to a salon to get them done. The chauffeur opens the door for us and we slip into the car. I lean against the window and look at the house next door, where Bennett once lived. I look up at the window of his old room and smile to myself.