SCARRED - Part 5 Read Free

no mood to talk about any of it. She wanted to climb into bed, alone and finally cry the tears she’d been biting back most of the day. She followed Kevin into a large sitting room and Jake trailed behind. Kevin offered her a seat on a plush tan sofa. She sank down into it and realized just how tired she was when she did.
    Kevin and Jake sat in chairs opposite her and Kevin said, “You and I both had the same thought at the hospital in Albany...but we didn’t have time to discuss it. You think Jesse had something to do with this?”
    “Jesse who?” Jake asked.
    Neither Chloe nor Kevin acknowledged him as Chloe nodded and said, “I’d be willing to bet on it. Derek wouldn’t have been speeding. I’m sure he took great care of his car and his brakes didn’t just fail. Jesse is a disgusting coward and this would be exactly the type of thing he would do.”
    “Who is Jesse?”
    Kevin finally looked at his older son and said, “Jesse Donovan.”
    “Vince Donovan’s son? That arrogant punk? I thought he was in prison or something. What the hell does he have to do with Derek?”
    “Just a second Jake. I’ll explain what I can,” Kevin told him. “Chloe, has Jesse contacted you at all? Have you seen him?”
    “No, but I feel him. I feel like I’m being watched. I know that he’s lurking in the shadows, waiting for his chance to get me alone. He had to get Derek out of the way first, but he wasn’t man enough to do that face to face.”
    “Damn it! I would appreciate it if someone told me what the hell is going on? Why didn’t I know that Sarah had a sister and most especially, why didn’t I know that Derek was dating her?”
    Chloe looked up at Jake who had jumped to his feet. He looked like he was seething with frustration. “I only just found out for sure that Sarah was my sister. Derek and I began dating before that. Jesse Donovan is my ex-boyfriend. He tried to kill me two years ago. He only recently got out of prison.”
    “You’re the girl he cut with the knife and nearly beat to death?” As soon as he said the words, Jake looked like he realized just how bluntly he’d said it.
    “Yes,” Chloe shuddered. 
    “And you got involved with Derek knowing that this maniac was getting out of prison soon?” His tone was a little bit softer but it was obvious he had to try hard to keep it in check.
    “Yes, I knew Jesse was getting out soon. Getting involved with Derek was entirely separate from that.”
    “Maybe it was supposed to be but obviously it didn’t turn out that way. What the hell were you thinking?”
    “Jake...” Kevin tried to interrupt.
    Jake’s voice became high pitched once again as he said, “No Dad! Do you really believe it’s a coincidence that she’s dating Derek and she just happens to be his dead wife’s twin and just happens to start dating him right before Jesse gets out? I think that’s a little too much coincidence to swallow. Maybe, she was looking for a big strong man to protect her from the psychopath. Maybe she knowingly put Derek in harm’s way!”
    “That’s enough, Jake!” Kevin shut him down. He looked like he was past the point of exhaustion. Chloe was grateful to him for standing up for her, but again she felt bad for being the source of the man’s troubles.
    With her voice as steady as possible she gave Jake the edited version of things. “I met Derek because someone he worked with saw me and took a photo because he thought I looked so much like Sarah. Derek found me and we got to know each other. From there, Derek and I figured out that I was taken from the Whitemore’s at birth and illegally adopted. I didn’t go looking for him and I never intended to “drag” anyone else into my mess.”
    “This is Jesse Donovan’s doing, Jake...not Chloe’s,” Kevin told her. “Your brother cares very much about her and he knew full well the dangers of getting involved with her. He’s had me hiring security to watch her around the clock...”
    “Why