A King For Christmas

#2 - Trapped

Remi

"Mrs King, I'm sorry ma'am, but I have orders."

"Which are?" I scowled at the bulk of muscles that had jumped in front of me the moment I stepped out of the mansion. I swear Lincoln had beasts for such. The man towered over me for miles and made me feel like he was taking up all the space in my life. Space I desperately needed right now. The reason I'd finally decided to escape the cold imposing mansion I called home.

"You can only go out with Mr. King," he stated, his face unreadable.

My eyebrows shot up, thinking I'd misheard the guy. "I'm sorry, what?"

"You are not allowed to leave the mansion without, Mr. King." The statue of a man answered, looking beyond me.

I'd have felt insulted by that, but I cared more about his boss and this new ridiculous rule being thrown in my face.

"Allowed?!" I bit out, chest aching.

He didn't... couldn't do this to me.

The guard had the decency to look uncomfortable, but he said nothing more.

"Wait, he is locking me up?" I blinked as reality slammed into me.

Lincoln had always been cold, but never this cold. Something pinched in my chest at the past weeks that the mansion had felt the coldest. From the night with the Mitchell's, after I'd stupidly given myself to him, he'd not stepped back or bothered to call or talk to me. I still saw him slipping into the same car we'd used that night with a very happy Harper putting her hands anywhere she wished on his body.

"I wouldn't call it that. It's just for your safety, ma'am."

"My safety? Isn't that what he pays you for? Why he's had you watch over me every damn time?" I let out an exasperated sigh, hating to lash out at the man, but he was standing between me and the sham of freedom I'd had since I got married.

"I'm sorry, but-"

"Argh!" I let out an exasperated sigh and pivoted, heading back in the mansion.

The damn place enveloped me almost instantly after I stepped in, making me sway a bit.

After our night together and being ignored like the plague, the damn place was suffocating me and I needed to breathe. I barely kept in the curses that threatened to spill out of my mouth as I stomped to my bedroom.

"How dare he?!" I seethed as I slammed the door to the room.

Something fell with the impact and looking over to my dresser, I let out a sigh at my personal effects that now littered the floor, reflecting my own shattered life.

My heart heavy at the sight, tears stinging my eyes, I walked over and got down on the carpeted floor to pick them up. One by one, I set them back in the tiny box as I let out a bitter laugh at how my past life could now fit in such small thing.

Coming to the mansion, Lincoln had demanded that I bring nothing and I'd driven over with only the tiny box that held the closest items I'd die for before I gave them up.

A plush teddy bear that had been the only birthday present I'd ever received. My mother had won it at the fair. A sad smile split my lips at the memory of how she'd sweated and made sure that that last dart hit its mark.

Putting it back carefully, I reached for my grandmother's very elegant earrings that she'd passed on to my mother who later passed them on to me. Pausing to take in their beauty as I had done so many times before, I wondered how she'd been able to afford them and as always my answer was the same. A gift. Maybe from my grandfather, coming with a promise of his undying love.

"You are such a hopeless romantic, Remi." I muttered, scooping up the rest of my things in one go before I began drawing the sad parallels with my own life and end up in a pool of tears.

A soft jingling sound drew my attention to a set of keys that had somehow slipped from my hands. The familiar key holder making a teary grin to spread on my face.

"You always did have a knack for drawing attention to yourself, didn't you?" I felt a sense of nostalgia as I picked the keys to Miss Ole' Trusty, my old faithful sedan who'd been my companion on more adventures than I could count.

"What was that? A spin around the block? Just you and me?" I feigned excitement at the imaginary conversation I'd always enjoyed with her. Grabbing the keys, I raced back down with a renewed purpose. If no one would drive me out, I'd do it myself. I just hoped I'd find my car right where I'd left it.

"Ma'am, what are you doing?" The same guard came after me.

"Going out." I'd side stepped him and was stomping towards the shade where my car should have been parked before he realized my intentions.

"I can't allow you to do that."

"Then you are going to have to kill me first." I said easily, making his eyes go wide before he composed himself and turned away from me.

He muttered something to himself but I wasn't listening.

Pressing a button to the shade's door, it opened and my breath hitched at the sight of my old treasure.

"There you are!" I beamed at my old car.

Someone had kept up with cleaning her and as I slipped in, I made a note to thank whoever that was. Placing the key in the ignition and turning it, the familiar roar of the engine was like music to my soul.

"Mrs. King?!

"Later George!" I waved at a shocked guard as I breezed past him, wondering if that was his name or was he Martin. Or a Felix? I made a note to ask him when I got back.

I was full on grinning when I slipped past the imposing gates to the estate that were about to be shut courtesy of George's instruction, no doubt. The guards manning the gates also wore shocked expressions and I made a note to apologize later, knowing I'd land them in trouble with their boss.

"Everything would have to wait until later." I thought as I stepped on the gas, loving the instant air of freedom that came with the speed.

Craving the familiar sights of my old neighbourhood, I steered my old baby away from the fancy and opulent, to the simple and mundane, slowing down when I reached my destination.

Crestview hadn't changed much since I'd last been here. Christmas was officially over, but more than a few homes still had their fairy lights on the pillars, others still hanging around the house. Kids still littered the streets, while their mothers called or chased after them. An old lady in a chair rocked away on one patio, while a neighbour snipped at a hedge's flowers, satisfaction written all over his face at his handiwork. I smiled along, loving the joy the simple life seemed to unearth in the world around me.

I wished I could stay.

Deciding that seeing my old house would be too painful, I settled on driving around every other street, reminiscing about what once was.

I'd been so immersed in my sight seeing, I did not notice the black SUV that shot past me and made a sharp turn to block my way.

I slammed on the brakes.

"What the-"

My words died down in my throat when a familiar furious face emerged, slamming the car's door and marching towards mine.

"Get out!" Lincoln demanded, his voice low and threatening, which I appreciated knowing how easy it was to draw a crowd's attention in these parts. Although it would just be a matter of time before his fancy car did that all on its own.

"You defied me!" He pointed out through gritted teeth and it was enough to ignite my temper.

"I'm not your child, you can't keep me locked up!" I yelled, surprised at myself.

I never yelled. Not at Lincoln. I never wanted to give him the satisfaction of knowing he could hurt me... that he'd hurt me when he'd made love to me and tossed me away so easily. But did I mention I was feeling rebellious today?

"You are my wife!"

"I never asked to be your wife!" I lashed out, feeling more trapped that ever.

"Damn it, Remi!" I flinched when a fist landed on the roof of my car.

"Danger could be lurking at any point just for you being my wife."

"Then divorce me, let me go, Lincoln," I begged. I never did that either. Something was definitely wrong with me today. "You can have Harper." I whispered, hating how small I sounded.

His jaw clenched, so hard I heard it. The fury in his eyes morphed into something I couldn't quite recognize before his expression turned darker than I'd seen it before.

"Oh, but we both know you can't afford to be divorced from me, baby," he growled, voice low, ignoring everything Harper.

I ignored the the jump in my pulse at how he addressed me.

"I'd take moping the floors of a morgue any day to make money to take care of my mother. At least I will be happy." I hated being this vulnerable, but the words kept coming.

His nose flared. "You forget that I happen to own every damn morgue in Regalton. No one would so much as look at you without my consent. And unless you step out of this damn car and come with me, I won't be held responsible for what I might do." His tone made my hairs stand on end, but I was determined to finish my ride with Miss Ole' Rusty and I was so not in the mood to do his bidding.

I was getting ready to reverse my car when the door was yanked open and I was hauled out of my seat before I could blink.

"Put me the hell down!" I snapped, then froze, slapping a hand over my mouth as a sharp wave of nausea punched through me.