"Please, Mrs. Campari. It's not a problem."
I gave in. I was desperate. "Okay. Let me get you the money."
He followed me into the kitchen, waiting by the door.
"Darn it, my purse is in the hall. I'll be right back."
"Sure."
I hurried as fast as I could and returned to the kitchen with some cash. He was in the same spot, looking around with curiosity. "My wife would love this kitchen."
"It's a nice one," I agreed and handed him the money.
"I'll be back fast. Okay if I go through the garage to the truck?"
"Sure. You're a lifesaver."
"No problem."
He came back in about fifteen minutes, knocking on the garage door. I opened it with a smile. "I didn't hear the truck."
"I parked farther down the driveway." He carried the bag to the counter. "I got Smuckers, like you asked." He held up the jar.
I reached for it. "Thank you."
He smiled. "No problem, Mrs. Campari. Enjoy your sandwiches."
He slipped out the door, and I made my sandwich, sighing in satisfaction as I bit through the soft bread. I ate two sandwiches, drank a tall glass of milk, and sat back, replete.
"Better, baby?" I asked quietly, running my hand over my stomach. I looked around the kitchen with a smile. "Now if only Daddy would get home, it would be perfect." I yawned, feeling sleepy. "Maybe a nap would help pass the time."
A couple of hours later after a nap, I walked into the kitchen, startling when I saw Tom sitting at the table. I frowned in confusion.
"Tom?"
"Mrs. Campari."
I looked around, unsure. "Are you all right?"
"Yes."
"I thought I heard the crew leave."
"They did."
A shiver of fear ran down my spine. He was staring at me, the usual friendly expression on his face gone. Instead, his face was impassive, blank. Even his voice was different. It was no longer soft or shy. It was cold.
I began to back up, and he stood. "Don't bother. Sal can't help you." He tilted his head. "No one can help you."
"Wh-what?"
"I've been waiting for this. I knew it was only a matter of time until you showed exactly how stupid you were."
My gaze tore around the room. I didn't know what was happening. I didn't understand.
"St-stupid?" I repeated.
"Letting me in your house. That was all I needed. But then you gave me a gift. A minute alone in your kitchen. All it took was thirty seconds, and I had everything I needed."
"Needed?"
He held up his hand. A small gadget sat in his palm. "I have every code. Every door is locked. Every camera belongs to me. I control everything." His smile terrified me. "I control you."
"I-I…"
"Let me introduce myself properly." Another dark smile curled his mouth. "After all, you should know the name of the man who is going to bring your husband to his knees." From behind his back, he withdrew a gun.
My mouth opened, but no words came out.
"Raoul. My name is Raoul Carmen. And I'm going to kill you. Very slowly."
His evil smile grew.
"And let your husband watch."
17
Evie
I stood frozen with fear, his words echoing in my head.
"Kill you. Slowly."
"Let your husband watch."
The man I knew as Tom smiled coldly as he watched my growing horror, my hand flying to my stomach in a defensive gesture.
"But-but Garrett said you were dead—they had your DNA…"
He held up his hand, the gap of his missing fingers suddenly telling a different story. "A small price to pay." He shrugged. "A dead body that looked like me, some donated blood, and body parts, and an easily bribed lab worker—anything can be made to appear different from what it really is. Like being dead—or assuming the identity of another living person for a while."
"There is really a Tom Smith?"
He tilted his head. "There…was."
I swallowed at his implication.
"He was kind enough to share many stories of his pregnant wife. They proved to be invaluable. I was most grateful."
"And?" I whispered.
"I thanked him by killing them all quickly."
He waved his hand as if it was no big deal. As if killing people and removing body parts didn't matter.
With growing horror, I knew neither did. He continued as if we were simply discussing the weather.
"This time, I can enjoy it. Take my time. What a treat it will be destroying the only things that matter to your husband. Taking away from him the two things he holds most dear." His smile became so evil it made my knees weak. "I shall have so much pleasure. So worth the wait."
"He'll kill you," I threatened wildly. "He won't stop until he finds you."
He laughed, not even remotely worried. "He will be so overcome by grief and anger he'll be an easy target. Little does he know his hell is only beginning."
"Wh-what?"
"I was going to take you and let him suffer. But it's not enough. I'm going to kill every member of his team, his family, and anyone else I think he might even remotely like. And when he has nothing left and nothing to live for, I'll kill him. Once I think he's suffered enough loss." He laughed—the sound so cold I shivered. "And I think he needs to really suffer." He slid his gun into his pocket, and reached behind him, pulling out a knife. The lethal-looking weapon glinted in the light, traces of blood clinging to the blade.
I gripped the back of the chair to stop myself from falling. I could feel the color draining from my face, and my stomach clenched. I slapped my hand over my mouth and rushed to the sink, dry heaving over the edge as terror seized me. Hot tears spilled down my cheeks and my breath came out in loud gasps.
I cried out as Raoul grabbed my arm, his grip brutal. He dragged me from the kitchen, down the hall, and into Matteo's office. Sal was on the floor, surrounded by a pool of blood. It was obvious he had fought hard but lost. I pushed down the nausea, turning my head, and silently apologized to him. We weren't close the way Mark and I were, but he had died trying to protect me. I owed him that much.
Raoul shoved me into Matteo's chair, leaning over me and typing on the keyboard, opening up a screen.
"Does your wife know what you do?" I asked, thinking of all the stories he had told me.
He laughed again. "You are so gullible. I have no wife. I knew if I told you bullshit about my 'own family,' you would relax and trust me." He shook his head. "It was all I could do not to kill you the first time I saw you, but this is so much better. Even if it was a pain having to disguise myself as someone else and avoid your husband and that fucking asshole of a bodyguard you had on you all the time." He leaned closer. "Just for the record, I fucking hate working in the dirt too. You have to pay for all that. You and your fucking Matteo." He pushed a few more keys, opening the camera on Matteo's computer.
"Call him."
"No," I said bravely. He could kill me, but I refused to make Matteo watch.
He slapped me so hard, I saw stars, and my lip broke open, the blood dripping on my chin. "FaceTime him, or I'll kill your child first.” He pressed the gun to my stomach. "I can do that and keep you alive."
My hands shook as I tapped Matteo's number. He answered after only one ring and with a sinking heart, I realized this would be the last time I saw him. His face filled the screen.
"Hello, my wife. Need something?" he teased. "Grape jelly perhaps?" Then his expression changed as he saw me. "Evie? What happened to your face?"
I tried to speak, but I couldn't. Tears welled, pouring down my face. I choked on the fear filling my throat.
"Evie! Baby, what is it? Get Sal!" His voice became panicked, then he gasped, shocked as Raoul stepped behind me.
"Hello, Matteo."
My head pounded, my throat tight, as I watched all the color drain from Matteo's face. I saw Mark step behind him briefly, then disappear. Raoul
laughed.
"Tell your sidekick whatever he thinks he's going to start won't work. I have control, Matteo. The outside men are dead and so is the useless bodyguard. I have your wife, and I have the codes for every door, lock, and gate in this house. Every code that has been used in the past three months has been canceled. No one can get in." He leaned forward, running the knife down my cheek. "And no one can get out."
"Whatever you want is yours. Anything," Matteo spoke. "Just let her go. She is innocent in all this."
"Would you trade your life for hers?"
Matteo didn't hesitate. "Yes."
"Too bad I'm not interested."
"I have millions. It's all yours. Every cent. You can disappear and start over." Matteo stood, holding his phone, pacing the way he did when upset. His voice was tight but calm, although I could see the panic in his eyes. His gaze would dart to the side then back to the phone, and I knew his mind was racing to come up with solutions. I could hear shouting and see he was moving, then the sound of a car door slamming. He was trying to get to me, but I knew it was too late.
"Oh, I'll get your money. But first you have to suffer."
A muffled sob escaped my lips. Matteo held the phone close, his voice low and gentle. "It's okay, Evie. It will all be okay. I promise you."
Raoul leaned down, chuckling. "Listen to him lie. He knows nothing is going to be okay. He knows you're going to die, but the best part is coming." He pushed me out of the way, filling the camera. "The best part, Matteo, is you get to watch. Everything I do to her. Every painful slice of my knife, slap of my hand, skim of my bullet—you get to witness."
Matteo lost it. He began shouting obscenities, screaming at Raoul, who listened, calm and detached, studying the knife he held in his hand. One he planned to use on me. I looked at the monitors surrounding the property. A car went by slowly, followed by another. I wasn't sure if they were here because they had been sent or simply driving past admiring the estate. It didn't matter. The thick walls and unclimbable gate that had been designed to keep the occupants inside safe would work against them. If Sal was dead, and Raoul had killed the other men who patrolled the perimeters of the grounds, I was alone and trapped. Raoul was going to kill me and my child, and I would never see Matteo again. Never feel his mouth on mine or hear his voice.
"Matteo, I love you!" I cried, needing those to be the last words he heard from me.
My voice stopped his tirade. "Evie," he rasped. "Fight him. Give me a chance to get to you."
"How touching," Raoul mocked. "But Matteo is right. You deserve a chance." He sat down, crossing his legs. "I fancy a bit of a game. Hide and seek. I'm going to give you ten seconds to hide, then I'm going to find you, and my enjoyment will begin. Won't that be fun?"
"What?" I asked dumbfounded.
He leaned forward. "You must be a good fuck because you are pitifully stupid. I said run. Hide. You have ten seconds." He sat back. "In fact, I'll give you twenty given your delicate condition. Only in the house, I'm afraid." He patted his pocket. "I have control of the codes now. The outside doors won't work, so no one can join us."
I heard Mark's voice behind Matteo.
“Evie! Think!"
Something twigged in my fear-induced mind, and I grappled to figure it out.
Codes.
Codes.
It clicked.
Codes.
Raoul said three months. Any code used in the past three months was locked out. There was one code that hadn't been used for a longer period than that.
And I knew exactly where to find it.
I drew in a deep breath.
He lifted one eyebrow, ignoring Matteo's cursing and threats. Raoul held the knife up to the light.
"One," he said.
I ran.
18
Evie
I raced through the kitchen, one arm wrapped around my stomach protectively. The door into the garage was the only one that didn't require a code. It was keyed from the outside and inside, and I always had one in my pocket. It was another one of Matteo's rules in case of fire. I lost a few precious beats trying to get the key in the lock, but was able to pull the door open and I ran like hell. I could already hear Raoul bearing down on me. In the garage, I ducked between the cars, with one target in mind. At the far end sat Mrs. Armstrong's car—unused since Mark had backed it in. I had shown him the opener with the small piece of tape on the back, hoping he wouldn't be overly angry with her. He had shaken his head in mirth.
"She never realized we could see her every move. We knew about the tape and the code." He had begun to chuckle. "She never figured out why she couldn't remember because we kept changing the code and the tape for her." He placed the opener back above the visor. "We'll leave it there for her."
He never canceled her code. The keys were left in the ignition the same way she always did. Matteo laughed at that, saying no one would ever steal the little Escort over the rest of his luxury cars, and it saved everyone time when she misplaced them once again.
If I could get to the car and start it, I could get out. At least as far as the gate where I could cause a scene and buy myself some time.
I heard Raoul enter the garage. "Nice try, Evie. You can't get out. But there are certainly a lot of items in here I can use to punish you."
I risked peeking over the edge of a car. Raoul was holding up his phone, now videotaping his hunt of me to torture Matteo.
I refused to allow that to happen. Ignoring the pain it caused me, I crawled on the floor, scraping my knees, carefully edging my way toward the far side. I knew Raoul was strolling through the garage, not concerned, giving Matteo a running commentary on all the things he was going to do to me when he caught me. I tried to shut out his vile, terrifying words, allowing my tears to fall soundlessly as I attempted to escape. I had almost gotten to the car when he appeared behind me, yanking me up by my hair, causing me to cry out at the pain in my scalp. He began to drag me toward the large worktable at the back, and I remembered some self-defensive things Mark had taught me.
"Use the element of surprise, Evie. Always!"
Raoul tossed me toward the workbench, and I grabbed the edge, preventing myself from hitting full force. He set down his phone, and I took the split second his concentration was off me to grab the heaviest item on the table. When he turned back, I swung the wrench, striking his head.
It was his turn to howl in pain.
I took advantage and began to run straight for the car. I was inside, with the doors locked, just as he grabbed the handle. He glared at me, lowering his face to the window.
"You just made this ten-times worse on yourself, you bitch. Open the door and I'll forget this happened."
"Fuck you," I yelled, and with a silent prayer, turned the key. The engine sputtered, then roared to life. Raoul began to laugh. "What are you going to do? Crash this car into the garage door? It's reinforced bulletproof steel! You can't get through it, you stupid woman." He sneered, then lifted his gun. "Those windows aren't bullet proof, though. Turn it off and get the fuck out of the car."
I read the six-digit number, punching them into the remote. The garage door began to roll upward, and Raoul gaped at the entrance, then began to run toward the panel, and I knew he intended to override the code. I shifted into drive, stepping on the gas. The tires squealed, and the car shot forward so fast, I could barely control it. The door stopped, beginning to re-shut, and I closed my eyes, letting the car go forward, deciding I would rather die this way than let him hurt us. The car shot through the entrance, the bottom of the large garage door scraping the roof, the sound loud and wrenching. I kept going. I got to the gate, and I flung open the door and began screaming. Bullets whizzed past me, and I ran blindly, heading for the trees, zigzagging to put off Raoul's aim.
Burning pain, vivid and sharp, tore through my chest, sending me sprawling. Blood seeped from the hole as I lay on the ground, my gasps ringing in my ears. There were shouts and screams, loud obscenities, and more gunshots as
I curled up, holding my stomach, the life draining from me. Darkness edged in as I cradled my baby, hoping Matteo would survive when he got here. That he would somehow pick up his life and carry on.
I heard my name being shouted, and I stayed still, allowing the darkness to take over. If I was dead when Raoul found me, he couldn't hurt Matteo or me anymore.
The feel of gentle hands and a voice filled with love and worry calling my name were the last things I knew.
The angel who greeted me sounded very much like Matteo.
19
Evie
I awoke gradually, my head aching, my body on fire, and the strangest sensation in my arm. My eyes opened, blinking in the dim light. I was surrounded by machines that beeped and whirled. I frowned, confused. Why did heaven look like a hospital room?
I looked over and discovered the source of the strange sensation. Matteo was asleep, his hand wrapped around mine, his cheek resting on my forearm. My arm and hand were numb with the weight of his head. In the corner, Mark slumbered, his large frame taking up most of the small sofa.
"Am I dreaming?" I asked, my voice low, raspy, and confused.
Matteo's head shot up, and Mark pushed out of his chair, hurrying toward the bed.
"Evie," Matteo whispered, his hands running over my face and arms. "Oh God, baby. Thank God you're awake."
"I'm not dead?"
"No." He shook his head. "You're not dead."
Panicked, I looked down, my hand flying to my stomach. Matteo laid his large palm on top of mine. "Our little one is fine, Mommy. We've been waiting for you to wake up."
"How long?" I asked.
"A few days. You hit your head when you fell, and you lost a lot of blood," Matteo explained, his hands still running over me in a constant motion. "The doctor assured me you'd be fine. He said you'd suffered a lot of trauma, and your body needed the time to recover." Matteo's eyes glistened in the dim light. "I've been right here, waiting to see your beautiful eyes open for me." He cupped my cheek. "And here you are."
Take Me to Bed: A Collection of Naughty Bedtime Stories Page 47
