Chapter 88 Untitled Chapter

Chapter 88 Untitled Chapter
GIANNA

“Oh my God it was you!” I accused. “You were behind it all, you deliberately had me signed to NYME, took my nude pics for some twisted reasons, then sent them to my family and had Jax and Dane arrested. All this for what? Why go to all this trouble and why the theatrics?” I was confused.

There was that familiar chuckle I used to love, as he clapped his hands together before he resumed stroking my hair.

“So many questions, Gigi. I see you're still as curious as ever, don't you worry, babe. All will be answered in good time.”

His hand finally paused from playing with my wet strands. His feet scuffed against the floor as he finally rounded the corner.

Instantly, fear, horror, pity, and sadness hit me as I tried to reconcile the man I knew with this version of him.

Those icy blue eyes were the only thing that left no doubt in my mind that it was really him, that and his voice that was unmistakable.

He must have seen the play of emotions on my face and hated it. But I couldn't hide it from him. My mouth gapes open, eyes wide with disbelief and brimming with tears.

There's a wide, jagged, puckered scar that runs the length of his once smooth and handsome face. It started from the left side of his scalp over his nose and mouth, down his chin and neck, disappearing into his knitted sweater.

“What happened to you?” I whispered in shock, horror, and pity, barely blinking back tears.

This was a man I once loved, a man that, at one point, I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.

“Don't fucking look at me like that, I don't need nor want your pity,” he sneered. I flinched.

“I'm not…” I started.

“Really, Gigi, you should be worried about yourself and the surprise I have for you,” he said, grinning, stretching his scars.

I gulp because deep down I know that nothing he has for me is good. I don't know what I did? What happened to him?

Or why Colton is suddenly in my life, but I have. And I could guess, only I didn't think whatever I did was enough to drive him to this extreme.

“But, first let's wake the rest before the fun begins,” he said, nodding to the man with the gun.

The bulky man he'd called Jimmy strides towards some buckets that were strategically placed under the leaking roofing and scoops what I suspected to be cold slush the buckets had collected from one of the buckets.

He moves closer to where Grams and Chloe are still unconscious. I knew instantly what he intended to do.

“Colton, don't do this, let me wake them. You know Grams is old, she might catch hypothermia.”

“Will she though?” he said doubtfully. “I don't think so, Gigi. I think you're exaggerating; this old crone is stronger than you think; she might probably outlive us all. How old is she already? Eighty, eighty-five?” I swallowed back my biting retort and tried to reason with him.

“Please, ice is too cruel…,” I started but was cut shut, leaving me with a gaping mouth, as icy slush was ruthlessly dumped over Bridget and Chloe. Both women gasped as they instantly woke up.

“Cruel but effective,” he replied, nodding without an ounce of regret.

“What is wrong with you? Why are you doing this?” I asked, flabbergasted.

“Colton?” Bridget asked confused, shivering, her teeth chattering. He smiles evilly, leaning into her face; it makes his disfigured face contort in a horrifying way.

“I am glad you could still remember me, Bridget.” Gram's reaction was much like mine. As she tried to find the handsome man we knew in this…man.

“Hello, Layla! You can talk now,” he said, straightening and focusing on the others.

“Or not,” he adds, the other men and the woman have all stopped what they were doing; even the carols had stopped playing in the background.

“How much do you want? I'm guessing you are doing this for money,” Aunt said bitingly.

“Always straight to the point, Layla,” he sneered, “You know, I used to love that about you. But I don't like the look in your eyes right now.” He nodded at the tall man I had first seen dancing with the woman.

The man looks familiar though I couldn't put a name to his face. The instant the man was close, he turned and slammed his fist in Aunt Layla’s face so hard the chair she was on tumbled down, carrying her along with it.

“Colton!” I screamed in horror. Struggling and realizing I can't do a thing. I was helpless, and I hated it.

Tears dripped down my cheeks when the man lifted the chair up and righted me, and I saw Aunt Layla’s face.

She had blood all over her face and more was gushing out of her nose and dripping down her mouth. She looks dazed, not surprising, the wicked man hasn't held back.

“I've changed my mind; you don't talk again until I ask you a question; are we clear?” he asked, Layla glared at him with all the hatred inside her.

He looked like he was going to give another nod to have that man punch her again.

“She won't say a word again, Colton. Please, I...I don't get it, why are you doing this?” I sobbed.

“Gianna, why do you keep calling him Colton? Also, why does he sound like Colton?” Chloe, who was the last to finally understand what was going on, stared at him with wide eyes as she asked this.

To be honest, she still looks out of it, and for the first time, I wondered if they had knocked us out with something besides the accident we had suffered.

“Because he is Colton,” I whispered, hoping she would stop asking questions.

“What happened to you?” Chloe asked. His eyes narrowed on Chloe, menacing as hell, making her shrink in her seat.

“Col…” I started in an attempt to take his focus away from her.

“Shut the fuck up, all of you,” he thundered, making me jump in my seat.

“The next bitch that opens her big mouth will meet the end of my gun.” Instantly, we clamp our mouths shut because the maniacal glint in his eyes told us that he meant it.

There was no mercy in his eyes. I struggle to believe this is the same man I loved and spent years with. It is strange how you suddenly realize you don't know a person as well as you thought you did.

“Except, of course, my Gigi,” he adds, tucking a strand behind my ear, “You can tell me anything you want.” I swallow hard.

“Colton, I, I …I don't know what happened to you. But it's obviously horrible and...I can't tell you how very sorry I am for that,” I stuttered. “But why are you doing this? What have my family and I done to you deserve this?” I choke out in a calm tone.

“Isn't it obvious? Haven't you already figured it out earlier?” He walked behind me and leaned into me, his face in my hair.

“To put it lightly you're all here for me to exact my vengeance for cheating on me,” he whispered in my ear.

“What? What are you talking about? You cheated on me days before our wedding. I never cheated on you, not even once Colton. Though in hindsight, I will agree that my reaction had been a bit extreme, but you have no right to want revenge on me or my family, Colton,” I replied, aghast.

“You're right you never cheated. But just to be clear, you think making a sex video of me go viral is a “bit” extreme?” He quoted with his fingers. He burst into a laugh that made me flinch.

“We'll see if your stands still remain the same later.”

That sounded ominous; the glint in his eyes gave me shivers and creeped me the fuck out.

“While that's one of the important reasons, it's not the main one,” he admits.

“You see, everything that had gone wrong in my life began before that day,” he said, pacing between us, Grams stared at him with narrowed eyes like she would a coiled snake.

“What do you mean?” I asked. He smirks.

“I suppose I should have known this. Your family has always been protective of you, precious granddaughter and niece of the Brooks family, Princess Gianna. It's, after all, why they never truly accepted me; they see me as not worthy of you,” his voice had turned bitter.

He stopped behind Grams and placed both hands on her shoulder, squeezing. Grams didn't react in any way.

“That's not true, Colton; my family accepted you; it was you who always had a problem with them,” I defended. He mimics what I said, his tone mocking.

“No, Gigi, you were always blind to the things around you so I'm not in the least surprised, but it's true. They'd never once accepted me, they think I don't deserve you that I'm beneath you and they'd never let me forget it. Always looking down their noses at me. The truth is they were never really going to let us marry,” he yelled angrily.