The Monster's Fury

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Three Months Later

Cole POV

“Sam, get Carmen and bring your asses to my office now!” I yell before slamming down my office phone. I’ve become more irritable than usual these last few months and I have every right to be. It’s been three months since I’ve heard even a word about My Little Butterfly. To say that I’ve lost my patience would be an understatement. There’s a knock on the other side of my office door.

“Come in!” I shout, annoyed by the sound of the knocking. Sam and Carmen scurry into my office like little cockroaches.

“Where the f**k is my status report?!” I roar, not giving them a chance to settle in.

“Didn’t I say I wanted one every morning? You shites can’t even follow that simple task? What in the bloody f**k am I paying you for?!” I slam my hands on the desk as I spring up from my chair in pure rage. My eyes dart between the two of them waiting for a response. Carmen lowers her eyes, not daring to look at me.

“There isn’t anything to report, Sir.” Sam speaks up.

“There isn’t anything to report?” I repeat as I step out from behind my desk. My feet pound on the floor as I walk to Sam. I stand in front of him, glaring into his soul.

“No Sir, there isn’t. We haven’t found traces of any of them. Wherever they are it’s not in the U.S.” A thousand yard stare rests on his face. He makes sure not to look me in the eye. His lack of efficiency is the end-all to the shred of patience I had left. My hand balls into a fist and connects with Sam’s cheek.

“IF THEY’RE NOT IN THE U.S, THEN LOOK SOMEWHERE ELSE!” My voice booms off the walls and echoes in my ears. Sam stays standing, his cheek red from my blow.

“Yes. Sir.” He grits out. I can tell he’s trying to hold himself back, but he knows who’s in charge and I can end him without breaking a sweat.

“Get the f**k out of my sight.” I order. He turns and marches out of my office.

The door closes and I shut my eyes in frustration, clenching my fist. If they’re not in the U.S it could take months before we find them. They all disappeared– her parents, his parents– anyone I could use against them, have all disappeared without a trace. The only one in plain sight is Sandy, as if she’s taunting me.

“f**k!” I try screaming out all the pent of anger and frustration inside me, but it doesn’t work. I pull my chair out from my desk and sit down. I don’t know when or how they were able to do all of this without me knowing. I feel like everything is out of my control and I hate it. I take a deep breath and exhale.

“Sir.” Carmen finally speaks up. I forgot she was still here.

“What is it?”

“Update on Laura. She’s about five months pregnant now and she’s starting to show.”

“Is it his baby?”

“She says it is but she’s also been sleeping with that Joshua fellow, so one can only wonder.” She walks up to sit in the chair across from my desk.

“Did I say you can sit?” I stop her. She scoffs before standing again and interlocks her fingers in front of her. If I weren’t so exhausted, I would f**k and torture that attitude right out of her.

“I want to know who the father of that little bastard is and tell that little cunt to stop f*****g everything that walks. No man wants a hoe as a housewife even if she is carrying his sack.” I wave my hand, dismissing her before closing my eyes and rubbing my temples.

The door slams, the loud sound causing me to open my eyes again. I’m definitely going to have to settle her attitude sooner rather than later. She’s getting a bit out of hand. I look at the computer screen in front of me. I move the mouse to the file labeled “Little Butterfly”. Rows of pictures of her face display on my screen. I scroll down to the one I love most.

She’s standing on a cliff overlooking the green mountains of Ireland– my homeland. We went there on vacation. She always wanted to visit and I hadn’t been there since I was a child. It was a little chilly that day so she was wearing a light black scarf that hung loosely around her neck and a mustard colored jacket that made her honey eyes pop, with a pair of jeans that hugged her curvy thighs. Her hair lightly blew in the wind and when she smiled at me she stopped my heart. She was absolutely breathtaking– beautiful just like a butterfly.

I watched her taking in the view and I felt a sense of peace that I hadn’t felt in a long time. Not since the last time I was there with my mother– the last time I felt warm. This was the day I decided she was going to be mine forever, no matter what.

My finger traces the outline of her face on my computer screen. I’ve never felt this hopeless before. When she got away from me the last time there were always some kind of clues letting me know that she wasn’t far but now she’s never felt further away from me. There’s something we’re missing, there has to be.

I close the picture screen and open the CCTV footage from the Sullivan House and the Murphy Mansion. There were too many coincidences when they took Adrienne. It was too easy for them. The only way that would have been possible is if someone made it easy for them. I just need to find out who that someone is, then I’ll get my Little Butterfly back. I’ll keep her caged right here where she belongs.

Adrienne POV

I throw a right hook hoping to connect with Hunter’s face, but he catches my arm and flips me over his shoulder.

“Umph.” My back stings as I hit the hard concrete ground of the training arena. Hunter stands over me with a cocky smirk on his face.

“You lose again, Gorgeous.” With the pain in my body screaming at me, I know he’s right. He extends his hand for me to grab and I do, rolling my eyes in the process.

“I’m getting closer to beating you.” I grunt out as the pain in my lower back shoots up a few notches. I bend to the side and try to rub it out.

“That’ll never happen.” Hunter says, oh so confidently. Which annoys me more than just getting flipped on my ass. He moves my hands out the way and takes over massaging my lower back.

“Come on Gorgeous, what kind of man would I be if my woman could beat me up?” He adds, as if he could sense that I was annoyed.

“Whatever, as long as I can beat Alex’s ass. I’ll get to you eventually.” I give in as I roll my shoulders and stretch my neck.

“Yeah, if you say so.”

“You can’t even try to hide the sarcasm?” I scorn, making him chuckle.

“You don’t think I can beat Alex?!” I turn around and punch him on the arm.

“Ouch, someone’s feisty today.” He jokes as he brings his hand up to the arm I hit, pretending to be in pain. I glare at him and he knows I’m serious.

“Okay, okay. You can’t beat Alex yet, but on the bright side, you’ll be able to beat “Knockout Chris” with your eyes closed.” He laughs. Usually I would have found his jab towards Chris funny but I just grow irritated and storm away.

“Adrienne!” Hunter calls out after me, but I ignore him and continue out of the training arena.

I welcome the much needed cool air that hits my face, almost drying the beads of sweat on my forehead instantly. My mind is going a mile a minute and I just need to get away. I walk up the stone steps leading to the top of the temple. After Sandy and Hunter saved me from Cole, everybody had to separate. Sandy hid everyone in different places; my parents, Alex and Rebecca, Hunter’s parents and Leah. She told us we'd meet when the time was right and didn’t tell any of us where the other was. She said it was safer that way, which I agreed with.

I reach the top of the temple and take a deep breath as I overlook the sss. Sandy sent Hunter and I to a secluded temple in Brazil, deep in the sss. Fortunately for me, this is where Hunter studied Jiu-Jitsu, so he knows his way around.

It’s beautiful here. We couldn’t leave the temple and go out into town, but the rainforest is more than good enough for me. I think tranquil isolation is exactly what I needed. The miles of tall green trees and colorful plants remind me of El Yunque Rainforest in Puerto Rico. Whenever my parents and I would visit, my dad always brought me there. He knew how much I loved the waterfalls.

I haven’t seen or spoken to my parents yet but Sandy let them know I was still alive before sending them off to wherever she did. At least I know they’re not in pain anymore. I’ve thought about them every day since I’ve been here. I want to feel my father’s bear hug wrapped around me and my mother’s loving forehead kisses. I miss them so much it hurts, but I know it has to be this way and once we deal with Cole, I’ll be with them again.

“Adrienne.” Hunter’s deep, soft voice pulls me out of my thoughts.

“Hey, what’s going on? I was just joking with you earlier.” He interlocks his fingers in mine and cups my cheek as his eyes search mine for an answer.

“It’s not that, Hunter.” I sigh.

“We’ve been here for what, three months now? And I’m still not good enough. I won’t be able to beat him if he were to take me again. If I can’t beat him, then all of this is for nothing. I need to beat him. We need to get out of here. I miss my family. I miss your family. I miss Taylor–” I trail off as I think about my sister. Frustration floods my eyes with tears that I’ve been fighting to keep in. Hunter pulls me into his chest, wrapping me into his warm embrace.

“It’s okay, calm down baby.” He tightens his hug just enough to where it feels comfortable. I take some deep breaths, breathing in his scent and my body begins to slowly relax.

“Where did you get the stupid idea that you were going to have to beat Cole alone? We’re in this together. I won’t let him take you away again, you just have to stay with me. Be in this with me and he won’t stand a chance against us.” My head continues to lay on his chest and he brings one hand up and runs it through my hair. He sighs.

“When are you gonna trust me, Gorgeous?” His question is rhetorical, but I know deep down he wants an answer.

“I trust you, Hunter. It’s Cole I don’t trust. I don’t trust what he’s capable of.” I peer up at him through my lashes. He gives me a soft smile before giving me a swift kiss.

“Come with me.” He unwraps me from his embrace and holds my hand in his.

“Where are we going?”

“You’ll see when we get there.”

****

“Hunter, we’ve been walking for at least an hour. Where are you taking me?” I heave as we trudge up another steep hill. The terrain on the path is muddy since it rained the day before.

“What? Tired of my company already?” He looks back at me, making sure I’m getting up the hill okay.

“Never. I could be in your company all day every day, but after training all morning and you beating me all afternoon, I was hoping for– I don’t know, maybe something a little less strenuous.”

“Don’t worry, we’re almost there. It’ll be worth it, trust me.” He chuckles.

My mouth drops in awe once we reach the top of the hill. We stand on a cliff above a beautiful waterfall. I walk closer to the edge and look below us to see a small pool of water. The drop has to be about 50 or 60 feet down. The waterfall is surrounded by huge rocks covered in vines, leaves and a flower that I’ve come to love since being here. The hanging lobster claw flower, or at least that’s what they call it. Its bright red appearance with traces of yellow attracts me every time.

“Hunter, this is beautiful.” I beam, twirling around to take everything in.

“I figured a change of scenery will do you some good. The temple could become a lot sometimes.” He tells me while removing his shirt. My eyebrows scrunch together as I try to figure out what he’s doing, but before I can process anything, he smiles and runs right past me, falling down that 50 foot drop and into the pool of water.

“Oh my God!” I squeal as I scurry to the edge of the cliff waiting for him to pop back up. Seconds feel like hours until I finally see his head come out of the water and I’m finally able to breathe again.

“Are you insane?!” I yell, trying to calm my nerves.

“Jump in!” He yells back, treading the water to stay afloat.

He doesn’t have to ask me twice. I’ve always been somewhat of a daredevil, so cliff jumping excited me. I take off my tank top and biker shorts, letting them drop to the ground. I peek over the edge again, my heart racing in my chest, adrenaline coursing through my body. I take a few steps back and lower my stance. After a few deep breaths, I take off running until the ground is no longer beneath me.

“AHHHHH!” I screech and my arms flail like a bird. My nerves drop to the pit of my stomach, kind of like that feeling you get when you’re on a roller coaster. I hold my nose and watch as the water gets closer to me. Pressure hits the bottom of my feet when I crash into the water. My body sinks as it calms down from all that adrenaline that was just rushing through me.

I push my arms down to the sides of me and kick my feet as I swim to the surface. Once I reach the top, I take a deep breath letting air fill my lungs again. Hunter’s arms wrap around my waist.

“Was that fun?” He asks as he kisses the back of my neck, making my hairs stand up. I turn around and fold my arms around his neck, smashing my lips into his. I push my tongue past his teeth and intertwine mine with his, savoring the taste of him. I’m surprised he’s able to kiss me so good while still holding both of us above water. I quickly push the thought to the back of my mind. Nothing this man does ceases to amaze me. Breaking our kiss, I rest my forehead on his.

“Thank you.” I smile. I can’t remember the last time my body has felt this relaxed or the last time my mind wasn’t going a mile a minute.

“There’s nothing like jumping off a cliff to take the edge off.” He jokes. Even though it’s corny, I can’t help but laugh.

“Come on. I want to show you something else.” He gives me a quick peck on the lips and slowly lets go of my waist so that I can swim on my own.

I follow him to the side of the waterfall where there’s a path of rocks you can climb onto. I watch as Hunter reaches for one of the rocks with one hand and reaches for another rock with his other hand. The muscles in his arms contract, showing every crease of definition. He swiftly grabs onto another rock and his back muscles form that V-shape that I love.

Drops of water slide down his back to the waistband of his shorts, making my eyes wander to his tight ass that I just want to sink my teeth into. How is it possible for a man to look this good? It should really be illegal. I mean he hasn’t even done anything and my v****a is ready to swallow his face.

“We’re almost there, just a little further up.” Hunter’s words snap me out of the erotic movie that was about to play in my head.

“And stop daydreaming about me. Climb your ass up here and you can have the real deal.” My mouth drops and I have to question whether he really is a mind reader.

“Who said I was daydreaming about you?”

“Is there another reason why you’re still in the water?” I look around me to see that I’m still treading water and Hunter is almost at the top of the rocks already.

“Oh, shut up.” I bark out the only comeback I can think of. He laughs and I can’t help but laugh too.

Hunter extends his arm, letting me use him as an anchor to pull myself up the last rock. We climb into a cave. There isn’t much to it, but when you look out through the waterfall the view of the rainforest is amazing.

“Wow Hunter. Where did you find this place?” I stretch out my hand to touch the cool water cascading from the waterfall.

“When you’ve been here long enough you tend to stumble on a thing or two.”

“How long were you here before?”

“5 years.” I swing my head around, gaping at him.

“Your parents sent you here for five years?! Why didn’t they just pay a top notch Jiu-Jitsu instructor to train you or something?” He sits on the ground of the cave and looks out to the rainforest.

“I didn’t come here just for training. I got into a shitload of trouble when I was a kid and I needed a place to lay low until everything settled.”

“What kind of trouble?” I ask as I sit down next to him. He must have done something pretty bad if he had to come all the way to Brazil to hide out. He takes a deep breath and says nothing. I’m almost afraid that he won’t tell me, but then he speaks up.

“We used to have this Sheriff in Middleton– Sheriff Ferguson. He was a f*****g drunk but he hid it well. To the world he portrayed himself as an admirable man who had lost his wife and was taking care of his daughter on his own. He had everyone fooled, myself included. He was our neighbor and his daughter Amber was friends with Leah. One day I was waiting for Leah to come home from the bus stop. When Leah got off the bus, she asked me if she could stay out and play with Amber until she had to come in and wash up for dinner, since she had already finished her homework. I was more than okay with it. Leah was mature for her age and she knew to check-in every 15 minutes or so.” I notice Hunter’s body starts to tense up as he continues the story.

“I was in the house watching TV and I didn’t notice that an hour had already passed and Leah didn’t check-in once. I remember being so pissed off, saying that she knows better and this was going to be the last time I let her out. I walked to the end of the driveway but I didn’t see Leah or Amber. I walked down the road waiting to see her but minutes had passed and nothing. I started walking back to the house thinking she might have gone back while I was gone. Amber came running out of her house in tears and in the pit of my stomach I knew something had happened to Leah. She was so hysterical it took me a while to calm her down long enough to tell me what happened. When she did, all I saw was red.

I ran into her house and saw Sheriff Ferguson trying to rip off Leah's clothes. She was screaming and putting up a fight but he overpowered her with ease. I saw a glass centerpiece on the table in the middle of the living room. I ran to grab it and smashed it on his head. When he tumbled off of her, I tackled him to the ground. I pounded his face in and just kept going until I couldn’t feel him move anymore. When I snapped out of it, his face was covered in blood. I could tell his nose and jaw were broken just by looking at him. He wasn’t breathing. I thought I killed him.” He clears his throat.

“I grabbed Leah and ran home. I called my parents as soon as we got there. I don’t know how much time had passed before they got home, but it was pretty quick. I told them what happened. My mom rushed Leah to the hospital and my dad took me to the bathroom to clean me up. My knuckles were full of blood, a mix of mine and Fergusons. I was in shock the whole time. I had been in a few fights before but nothing like that. Then to see my sister like that–” He trails off.

“She was only 11.” I can feel the heat radiating off of him and he clenches his fist in anger. I can only imagine how he’s feeling and how he must have felt when everything happened. It’s taking everything in me to fight back these tears that want to fall so badly. I grab his hand in both of mine and kiss each of his knuckles, trying to ease some of his anger and pain. He takes a deep breath and the relaxation of his body follows.

“Anyway, he survived and when he came out of the hospital he was out for blood. He had a lot of connections. His brother was the Mayor, so of course the story never got out. He made my life hell. I was getting harassed and beaten up by cops every day. One cop held me at gunpoint and shot at me just to scare me. I was angry a lot and I would take out my anger on any random guy that looked at me the wrong way. My parents were sick of it so they sent me here until things settled. When I came back, Ferguson and his daughter were gone. The Mayor fell from office and there was a new Sheriff. I’m pretty sure Sandy had a lot to do with that but no one ever talked about it again.”

Silence falls between us. I’m at a loss for words. What do you tell someone who’s been through all of that, and Hunter of all people? I want to cry and pull him into a hug but I know he would hate that.

“Did you ever find out what happened to Ferguson?” I ask.

“No, but if Sandy had anything to do with it what do you think happened?” We both chuckle, knowing that Sandy is one crazy lady.

“Knowing her, Ferguson is either dead or wishing he was. I’ll put on my detective hat and find out when we get back. If he’s not, then don’t worry baby, I’ll take care of him for you.” I put up my fists ready to fight. He gives me a small smile, lowering my fists and pulling me into him.

He brushes his lips against mine before gently nibbling on my bottom one, setting off sparks throughout my entire body. I lock my hands in his hair as I deepen our kiss. I’ve never had s*x behind a waterfall, but there’s a first time for everything and I’m going to love doing it with the man I love.

****

Hunter POV

We start making our way back to the temple in a peaceful silence. Adrienne seems to be better, but my mind is in a rut. I haven’t spoken about that incident since I left. I hate reliving that s**t. I don’t know what it is about Adrienne but she makes it easy for me to tell her anything. She never makes me feel judged or weak. Half the time she doesn’t even say much, but when she kisses me I can feel her thoughts through her lips.

“It’s getting dark. Sensei is going to have a fit when we get back.” Adrienne voices, picking up her pace.

“Yeah, just prepare yourself. We’re not going to get any sleep tonight.” I shake my head.

“Ugh! I’m so tired though. What do you think he’s going to do?”

“No idea. Sensei likes to get creative, so it’s never the same punishment, but if he says anything about Mist Peak, we’re fucked.”

“What’s Mist Peak?”

“Highest Mountain in Brazil. It takes a week to go up and come back down.” Her eyes widen, making me laugh.

“Did you have to go there?”

“Yeah. I wasn’t the best student when I got here.” I smirk.

“Why does that not surprise me?” She giggles, shaking her head.

We finally made it back to the temple after another half hour or so. We try to be as quiet as possible as we tip-toe back to our rooms, but our efforts are wasted. Sensei is already standing in the hallway with his hands behind his back.

“Shit.” Adrienne mutters under her breath before biting on her thumbnail. He treads closer to us and we bow our heads in respect.

“Pack your things.” He says sternly before walking away. Sensei isn’t one of many words, but when he speaks, you do, no questions asked, and he only says “pack your things” when you aren't coming back.

“Pack our things?” Adrienne looks nervous, not knowing what to expect.

“To go where?”

“Home. I think Sandy is finally calling us back.”