27

27

"I knew it!" yelled somebody in the crowd, causing an uproar of yelled demands for Martin to be thrown in jail.

Martin stared at his wife, hardly believing his eyes and ears. She couldn't possibly be taking Marcus's side in this matter, could she?

"Martha, what in the hell do you think-"

"I won't let them lock my baby up!" she cut him off in a furious whisper.

"He's not a goddamn baby! He's a full-grown man and whether you like it or not, he will take responsibility for his thoughtless actions!"

"Actions you led him to! Admit it!"

"Stanford! You'll be payin' for what you've done if it's the last thing I see in this life!" yelled old man Reginald.

Grayson steadied the old man as he wavered on his feet. Martin shook his head, spluttering in frustration.

"But, I... Look, I won't be accused like a street thug, I won't have it! I'm Mayor!" he stated, injecting all the authority he could find into his tone.

He'd thought he'd been successful until a market lady leaned right back and spat on his shoe.

"That's what I think of your bein' mayor!" she yelled, shaking a bundle of spinach in the air.

Martin stood stock still, glaring at the splatter on his shoe.

"See what you've done, you imbecile!" he hissed at Martha.

"Don't send Marcus away, is all I ask," she hissed back.

"Where's Lauren, Martin?" asked Grayson, staring Martin directly in the eyes.

Martin clenched his jaw until his face turned red. His eyes stared directly at Grayson, unwavering. This was all his fault, the little brat. Grown wings, has he? How dare he come against powers much higher than anything he knows?

"Where is she?" Gray repeated.

"If I knew, I'd have gone to get her!" yelled Martin. Gone to get her and put a bullet in her brain for all the damn trouble she's brought him.

"Your son kidnapped a woman!" said the Sheriff, rocking back and forth on his heels. "Not just any woman, but Catherine Burns' only daughter! Do you not think this is a big deal, Mr. Mayor?"

"Well, I sure do, Sheriff!"

"You ain' actin' like it!"

"I'll try again!" Martin screamed, breathless from frustration. "I'll call Marcus and try and convince him to bring her back!"

"I hope you know, Sir, that if any harm comes to the lady, supported by your wife's statement, it'll be permitted for us to lock you up along with the young Stanford."

Martin said nothing as the crowd cheered, only silently glowered at Grayson who glowered right back.

"Noted," he said sharply to the Sheriff before turning on his heel and walking back to his office, angrier than he'd ever been in his life.

*****

Brightness glared mercilessly against her closed eyes and Lauren squeezed them shut, turning her face away. She tried to lift an arm and found it held back. Held by a hand to be exact. Her whole body was held in a pair of arms and Lauren frown as she felt the earth bob up and down as the owner of the arms carried her across some uneven land.

Light flashed against her eyes again and she groaned. Suddenly, the person carrying her came to a sharp halt and quickly lowered her to the ground, laying her carefully on the hard earth.

Lauren turned her face to the side and felt the grass tickle her skin.

Jerking her face away from the sudden sensation, she squinted her eyes open to see the blue sky above her.

Where the hell was she? Who on earth was that person? Lauren quickly lifted her head, looking around with a frown as she sat up.

She was in a green park with a lake...back in Woodfair. Her heart rested a little easier until she turned her head to the side in time to see a dark-haired man get in the backseat of some black car.

"Hey..." Lauren said weakly, trying to get up.

The man closed the door and as the sunlight focused on the car, he turned to her, only his eyes visible above the half-opened window.

Lauren gasped when, like in a dream, she became transfixed by the golden-brown eyes staring back at her.

The car drove away as the window rolled up and she scrambled to get up.

"Oh my God... A-Aaron?" she whispered after the accelerating car. No. It couldn't be. How could she even consider that? The man had dark hair and Aaron's was blond and much thicker than that. But those eyes...

Lauren gulped, glancing around.

She'd been rescued by a stranger, not Aaron. But... Marcus. What on earth had happened to him? And where was Aaron?

Panic rose as Lauren looked around her. Why did the town seem to be so deserted? Where was everyone?

She took one shaky step forward and without another thought started in the direction of Aaron's house. She had to find him.

God, Marcus shot at him, that idiot!! She prayed Aaron was okay, that he hadn't been badly hurt because of her. Oh, what if he had?! What if he'd been unable to drive away to find help and he'd bled out on the forest floor?

Lauren bit her lip as she walked, forcing her eyes to see past the tears that flooded them to stream down her face.

Aaron was okay. He had to be okay.

Rubbing at her sore wrists, she forced herself to walk faster. Her jaw clenched when she remembered Marcus.

He'd actually kidnapped her!

How psychotic were the people in this town, honestly?

Huffing to clear the lump in her throat, Lauren turned down the road leading to the Spencer residence. A rustle sounded behind her suddenly and Lauren shrieked, swinging back with a fist.

She panted harshly, staring at the empty street. A little squirrel darted out from behind a bush and scampered rapidly away.

With a sigh, she rested a hand across her forehead. She had to hurry. Whether she wanted it to be true or not, her life was in danger.

With that self-warning in mind, Lauren hurried to Aaron's house and rushed up the front stairs.

She knocked on the door, eyes darting up and down the street, looking for any shadows skulking about. She saw nothing and turned back just as the door opened.

Selena stood in the doorway with wide teary eyes.

"Oh, thank God!" she breathed pulling Lauren quickly in as she glanced about outside. Lauren gulped and tugged her gently back into the house.

"Mrs. Spencer you have to-"

"Where's Aaron?" asked Selena with wide eyes. Lauren tried to pull her further into the house but hadn't managed even a step when the lady snatched her arm away and began pacing up and down the porch looking about the yard.

"Where's Aaron?!" She spun around with wide eyes. "Somethin’s happened to my Aaron, hasn't it?!"

Lauren bit her lip. "No, no! Please calm down, Selena. Aaron's fine, I'll just send Grayson out to go and get him. Nothing's happened."

The lady shook her head, her golden blond hair tumbling over her shoulders. "Don' lie to me, Cathy honey, please! I've had a bad feelin' ever since he left this mornin'! Tell me!"

A frown creased Lauren's forehead. Selena thought she was Catherine again. Lauren started to wonder just how often Selena had seen Lauren as her mother now but stopped when Selena's anxiety mounted and Lauren grew desperate to calm her.

"Aaron's alright, I promise! He's fine!" He has to be.

The fact that she really didn't know where Aaron was at that moment bit a huge hole of guilt into Lauren's heart, but she still had to calm Selena down.

"Oh no... oh, no..." murmured Selena worriedly as paced up and down the sturdy porch. Lauren was biting on her nail and trying to think of a way to get Mrs. Spencer inside when she heard the sound of tires on gravel.

The sound stopped her cold and she immediately lifted her head. A car? Was it Aaron? Nobody else drove their car through this street. Curious, Lauren started to lean over the porch rail to get a better look.

"No! Don't!" With surprising strength, Selena pulled Lauren back and towards the open front door.

"They mustn't see you! They mustn't! You must hide, dear!"

Lauren found herself unable to speak as Selena pushed and shoved her through the front door.

"They'll put you to be hanged, dear!" whispered Selena fiercely and just as Lauren was getting over the shock of learning that her mother had once risked facing the noose, her eyes caught something.

Right above Selena's head, passing by on the street was the black car, golden-brown eyes staring at them from the backseat.

With a panicked gasp, Lauren tugged Selena in and quickly closed the door, immediately locking it.

She leaned back against it, tension gripping every muscle in her body.

Who was that man? What on earth did he want from her?

Selena, having concluded that Lauren was afraid of getting caught by those who sought to hang her, gently patted her hand.

"Now, Cathy, dear, don' you worry 'bout nothin'. My Aaron, he'll protect you like you were his only sister." She nodded in firm belief of her son's protection capabilities and Lauren nodded slowly, letting herself agree.

With sweat beading on her forehead, Lauren gently grasped Selena's elbow and led her to her armchair.

"You sit and relax now, Mrs. Spencer, alright? I'll get your medicine."

Selena's brows rose. "Aaron told you about my pills, did he? Ah, that cunnin' fox! He won' let me have a day of rest from those pills, seriously. It’s tiring.” She sighed.

Gulping from the fear now constantly pounding in her heart, Lauren assured Selena that Aaron only cared about his mother. Quickly, Lauren slid up to the window and inched the curtain away. The street was clear.

She sighed and hurried to get Selena's medication, handing her a glass of water to go with it.

The time read six-thirty in the evening, but the day was still light. Lauren sank heavily onto a sofa and sighed her heart out as she stared at the ceiling. What the hell was going on? God, where the hell was Aaron?

Woodfair had proved to be much scarier than she'd expected. It wasn't as though she'd expected grand luxury with everyone bowing and calling her "Your Highness", but she couldn't say she'd expected to get assaulted in her grandfather's house, get kidnapped by the mayor's son and become prey for said Mayor either! It was all madness. Lauren bit her lip and sat up, rubbing at her sore wrists.

Her mother, her grandfather. This all had something to do with her late family members. Those photographs that she and Aaron discovered in Pop's bed... The memory of the gruesome photos. Something sick was going on and Lauren was horrified to suspect that the people behind the sick thing were focused on her.

Her gaze snapped up to the ceiling and she wondered for a second if they were watching her. The paranoia left her feeling silly and she shook her head. Just who would be watching her exactly? Irritation rose within her, making her touch harsher than she'd meant it to be as she rubbed her wrists and the sting brought a hiss of pain out of her.

"Did that to you, did he?" asked Selena as she stared at Lauren's wrists.

Lauren glanced up at her, unsure as to who Selena spoke of.

"Who, Mrs. Spencer?"

"That monster, that's who! Hurt your wrists, didn' he?"

Lauren's skin chilled. Again, that term 'monster'. With an unsteady heartbeat, Lauren drew closer to Selena.

"W-what monster?"

Aaron's mother sighed and her eyes became unbearably sad.

"If my Richard was here, he'd knock that bastard flat on his back, he would!" she stated boldly, punching her clenched fist through the air. "He'll have what's comin' to him, honey, don' you worry..."

"What did he do wrong?"

Selena scoffed. "Existence is bad enough a crime for him..."

Lauren could only sigh as Selena leaned back tiredly in her chair.

"Who, Mrs. Spencer?" she asked quietly as the lady began to fall asleep.

"Don' worry, honey. You're safe now..."

Lauren watched as her eyes fell closed and Selena's breath evened out. Wrecked with frustration, Lauren sat forward and pressed her fingertips to her mouth. What the hell was going on?

With a sigh, she gently nudged Selena to a semi-awake state.

"Let's take you to bed now, Mrs. Spencer," she said. "For a good night's sleep."

"Where's my Aaron?" murmured Selena. "Rick will be lookin' for that boy."

Lauren sighed sadly as she tucked Selena in. Aaron's mother still remembered her late husband, even bringing him to their present time by the memories of her mind.

Patting her bed, Lauren wondered once more where Aaron was.

Turning Selena's light low, she left the room and hurried to the kitchen to use the phone. She had no clue where her own cellphone was, so she'd make use of this one.

Just as she'd hoped, she found a list of important numbers in the book besides the phone and quickly punched in Grayson's digits.

It only rang a few times before Gray answered.

"Aaron? You home?" he said quickly.

"Grayson!" said Lauren, her throat immediately getting clogged up with the emotions she'd been suppressing.

There was a beat of silence.

"L-Lauren? Lauren, is that you?!"

"It's me. I-I'm at Aaron's house."

Gray closed his eyes from relief as his friends huddled around him.

"Thank God...oh, thank God, Lauren! Are you sure you're alright? Marcus, that bastard, wait till we catch him! How did you get home?"

Lauren scoffed a laugh out and wiped her tears. "Yeah, I'm fine. Uhm, someone came to get me, Gray. I don't know who he was, but he saved me and brought me home. I didn't really see his face, but he had eyes like Aaron's."

Grayson frowned as he gestured to his friends to keep things going. He couldn't let the Mayor find out that Lauren was at Aaron's house. What if they tried to get her again?

"Eyes like Aaron's?" he questioned as he headed out of Town's Hall. "Listen, Lauren, just stay right there and make sure all the doors and windows are closed. I'm on my way."

"Wait! W-where's Aaron?! Marcus shot him, Gray..." She trailed off when her chest constricted at the memory.

"Aaron's fine, honey," said Grayson. "I'm calling him right after I hang up, alright? He'll be with you soon."

She nodded. "Alright. Are you on your way?"

"I'll be there in a minute, Lauren, I promise."

"Okay."

She hung up the phone and rubbed her arms as she looked around the kitchen. Her eyes saw Aaron everywhere. Standing at the sink when she'd come to question him, sitting on the chair sharing her breakfast pancakes. Having the dinner she made him as they had a petty argument. Standing at the table as she washed dishes, watching her like he wanted to eat her right at that moment.

Lauren swallowed painfully and sunk onto a chair. God, she missed him so much. She just wanted to hold him and say sorry. She wanted to burrow deeply against his big, warm body and breathe in his scent as he stroked her hair.

When her mind started replaying Marcus shooting Aaron and him falling, Lauren forced herself up to check that every window and door was closed. Anything to keep her mind from going off in a frenzy. Grayson said he was okay. Aaron was okay, he was fine.

A few minutes later, somebody was knocking on the front door and Lauren, startled, crouched behind Selena's armchair as her heart thumped in her chest.

Who was it? What if it was the stranger from the black car? Or Marcus...

"Lauren, it's Grayson! Open up!" she heard.

With a heart sighing in relief, Lauren raced to the door and opened it. Grayson rushed forward, gathering her into his arms.

"Gray!"

"Oh, my God, Lauren! Oh, my God..."

She hugged him back, delighted to have him there as the sky grew darker and darker.

Grayson pulled back to study her face. "You alright? That psychopath didn' hurt you, did he?"

She shook her head and Gray quickly closed and locked the door, before turning back to her.

"We were so worried. The whole town was worried!" he said as he led her to a sofa in the warm living room.

Lauren's brows rose. "Really? But how did they know? How did you know?"

"Aaron phoned me when it happened. He asked me to tell the entire town that Marcus had kidnapped you and told me to find you."

She nodded quietly. "Where is he? Did he go to the hospital?"

"No, I don't think so," Grayson said. "I'm really not certain, but don't worry, I heard him tellin' somebody to speed the damn car up. He's on his way home."

Lauren rubbed her arms again as she shook her head. "This is all so crazy. Why are all these things happening?"

Grayson sighed and held her hand. "It'll all be over soon, Lauren, don't you worry."

"But it's getting scarier and more dangerous! They shot Aaron and kidnapped me! What the hell do they want from us?!"

"They're just tryin' to keep their secrets hidden. But don't worry, Aaron will clear everythin' up soon. Everything's about to go back to normal."

She sighed and nodded, not really sure what normal was in the first place.

Grayson looked sadly at her and she nudged his arm.

"I'm okay, don't look so sad," she reassured him, but he only sighed.

"Have you eaten? Lemme make you somethin',” he said standing up.

"No, Gray," Lauren shook her head, tugging him back down again. "I'm not in the least hungry."

He was nodding when they both heard it outside. Tires and stomping feet.

Lauren gasped, eyes widening in fear. Grayson held a hand up for her silence as he pulled a shiny gun out from behind him. Lauren gasped at it and Gray hushed her when there was sudden pounding on the door.

Fear sliced right through her leaving her breathless as her eyes filled and she held a tight hand over her mouth. They'd come for her.

The pounding came again and Gray approached the door, Lauren behind him, quivering in fear when the pounding stopped.

"Lauren?!"

Aaron.

Lauren thought her heart would float up and out of her chest from relief when she heard Aaron's voice through the closed door.

"Aaron! It's Aaron!" she whispered excitedly, pushing past Grayson to open the door.

The moment she threw it open and looked up at him, his big gold eyes wide, his chest rising and falling in harsh breaths and his arm held in a sling... that was the moment when Lauren realized, like an idiot, that she'd gone and fallen in love with Aaron Spencer.

"Lauren!" he gasped and she watched wide-eyed as he tore off the sling and lifted her into his arms.

"Aaron..."

He held her so tightly that she felt every tremor that ran through his body.

"I'm so sorry, baby, I should have come for you!" he said, holding her like she'd disappear into thin air if he let go.

Her heart finally stopped beating in wild fear as it had for the whole day. Aaron calmed her. He made her feel so safe.

"No, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Aaron, I should have trusted you."

She pulled back to stare up into his eyes but froze when she opened her eyes. The door remained open behind Aaron and the dark night was illuminated only by the street lamps, under which Lauren was chilled to see the black car.

But even scarier was when up to the porch, out of the dark came a stranger dressed in black.