by Sherell Lynn
“What’s that supposed to mean, women like her?” Shit! I had to rein in my true feelings.
“I just mean women who find themselves on hard times.”
“I’m confused by all of this. I felt like I really knew Bella. What you are saying doesn’t make sense. I’m usually a good judge of character and I can’t be wrong about her.”
“Yes, you can, Adam. She had us all fooled.” I slid closer to him and he jumped up. I flinched from his sudden movement.
“I might have believed your story in the beginning, Ava, but I know Bella and something is wrong with what happened to her. I was stupid for leaving her. I need to get her back.”
“Do you really think I would lie to you?”
“I don’t know, Ava. It’s obvious you want to be with me. I’m flattered, but it will never happen.” Here was the smug asshole I had met in high school and to think he had changed. I was not going to sit here and have him fawn over his bottom feeder.
“Adam, I’m out of here. How dare you treat me like this? Our friendship is ruined.”
He smirked. “Yeah, I’m sure my girl wouldn’t like you trying to get with her man.”
“Fuck you.” I seethed through my teeth. I walked out with my head held high. Neither he nor that Bella could get the best of me. Now, they would both have to suffer.
PRESENT DAY
Thinking of that day had me seeing red all over again. There was no way they were going to be happy together.
“Ava.” I heard Raymond’s voice outside my door.
“Come in.” Raymond came in and sat in one of the chairs in front of my desk.
“Girl, you have got to get from behind that desk. We have so many orders to fill and could use your help.” Bella had not returned to her position here with my company and we were slightly suffering. I wished I would have hired someone before her untimely accident. Now, I was the one stuck back behind a desk all day.
“I would love to help you guys out in the kitchen, but there are many admin things that need to be done.”
“I don’t care what nobody says, Bella was one hard worker. Do you think you could give her another chance? She out of all people deserves a second chance.” Raymond said.
Was he serious? I was so sick of all these men falling for Bella. I placed my hands on the desk and leaned forward.
“That’s not going to happen! Ms. Brenda has already gotten all of Bella’s things so there is no reason for her to step foot back into this building. I am currently looking for a more competent individual.”
He shifted in his seat. “Okay. I just don’t see how you two are best friends one day and now you act as if she is your worse enemy.”
“Raymond, I run a business, a successful one at that. It wouldn’t look good to have Bella come back to work here after all that happened. I have protected her long enough. I can’t have her jeopardizing what I have worked so hard to accomplish.”
I could see he had something he wanted to say. He kept opening his mouth and closing it. Like a fish out of water. Finally, he just got up to leave.
“Don’t work yourself too hard Ava.”
I was left alone. My work day went by really fast. I never got a chance to get any of the catering food together. All is well though, I thought to myself turning off the lights, on my way out. My phone rang.
“Hey, baby.”
It was my new friend. I had met him after licking my wounds from all this Bella business. He was exactly the type of distraction I needed. The way his manhood penetrated my opening and wet my flower had me seeing stars. He was such a good lover everything seemed to disappear with him being inside of me. We had a great understanding. There was no lovemaking or cuddling. Just straight sex and he would leave afterwards.
Luke had always lingered around and I hated that. Not to mention the sex was mediocre compared to what I am getting now. We spoke for several more minutes with plans to hook up later tonight. I had other plans that might take me a while, so I couldn’t meet him any earlier like he wanted to. If everything went according to plan, I would have my revenge and a new man to celebrate it with.
39
Adam
Voicemail again. This was the twentieth time I had called her and after leaving six messages, I figured she got my point. That didn’t stop me from calling non-stop. I had now made it to my office. I paced back and forth thinking about what to do next. I couldn’t believe Bella had been keeping her pregnancy from me. It was clear to me on the voicemail message she left, that there was no baby. Did she mean there was no baby for me? Did she not want me to be a part of my own child’s life? Who else knew about this? Mr. Garett, Ms. Brenda, Alex. Hmm…My own brother. He had been spending a lot of time with her.
I placed a call to my brother asking him to come to my office. After lunch with Bella I was a bunch of nerves waiting to bust and sitting around waiting for her to talk to me was something I could not do. So, I came to my office to take care of some of the things that needed my attention as the head of the company.
A few minutes later, Alex stepped into my office. “What do I owe the pleasure of being interrupted by, your highness?”
I didn’t respond to his slight comment, just continued my stare down into eyes that were very much like my own. “Did you know?” I had no time for small talk I needed answers now.
Alex looked dumbfounded. “Did I know what?” He took one of the seats in front of my desk. He ran his fingers through his hair and raised his eyebrows waiting for my response.
“Bella is still pregnant,” I blurted out.
His mouth flew open and he squirmed in his seat a bit. Alex blew out a breath before he began to speak. “I had no clue. I’ve spent so much time with her and not one time did she mention it. Wait. How did you find out? Did she tell you?” he fired off.
I put a fisted hand to my forehead trying to rein in my temper. “No. Unfortunately or maybe fortunately, it happened on accident. I met her for lunch today. I had been missing her.”
I was not afraid to admit it to Alex or anyone who would hear it. I would take an ad in a magazine or place it on a billboard for all to see how sorry I was for being a jackass to my girl. “She had finally agreed to see me and when she got there I could feel her anger and frustration at me. One thing led to another and then she got up to leave. I walked over to where she was and when I reached for her, my hand went across her stomach. It wasn’t very big, but it definitely was there, round, small and hidden from me.”
Alex got up and started pacing my large office space. “So, she really is pregnant and the baby is yours?”
Now it was my turn to be dumbfounded. “What do you mean? Of course, it is my baby. We have only been away from each other for a short while and I know I am the only man she has been with.” His jaw ticked and he had a faraway look, guilt. Stalking my way up to him I ask, “Is there something you need to tell me, little brother?”
He squared his shoulders “Where is Bella at now?”
“How should I know and why do you care?” He turned to walk away not even bothering to answer the question.
I grabbed him by the shoulder and turned him back to face me. “I asked you a question.”
“What me and Bella have going on doesn’t concern you. It’s none of your business.”
I shoved him as hard as I could. He stumbled back trying to catch his balance. Once again, he tried to leave. This infuriated me more than anything. My own brother was trying to steal my girl right from under me. I ran and blocked the doorway.
“Are you trying to rush out of here to be her shoulder to cry on?”
“And what if I am? She needs—”
My fist connected with his nose, knocking him off balance. “Bella is mine! Do you understand me!” I shouted. While he was bent over, he charged at me screaming from the top of his lungs, his head connecting with my stomach. I flew back crashing onto one of the small tables in my office. It broke instantly on impact.
“You had your chance Adam an
d you lost it!” He yelled. I wrapped my hand around his neck punching him in his eye with the other. I used all my weight to push him onto his back. That was when my hands landed one after another, bloodying his face.
His face was red, not only from the blood, but from the lack of oxygen. His hands began to blow punch after punch on my back. One knocking my own breath away. I slid off his body slightly and he took the opportunity to knock me on my ass. I heard a feminine voice scream out, but I was so blind by rage I didn’t turn back to see who it was. I charged forward, but stopped when Alex ran toward the sound. Coward. I turned to see him talking to my secretary. Our eyes locked and her shaken expression turned to mortification at the sight of me and Alex fighting like cavemen. I stood and walked over to her. Her eyes jumping from mine to Alex’s.
“What the hell are you guys doing to each other? She nervously asked.
I didn’t feel the need to answer her question. After all, I was the boss and people answer to me not the other way around. “What do you need?” My voice sounded antagonistic even to my ears.
She stepped back and fretfully looked away. “Um…A lady named Ms. Brenda called, she said you knew her. She…”
I was getting agitated. “Get on with it, please.” I added “please,” to not sound like a complete ass.
“She said Bella is missing.” I took off down the hall and waited for the elevator.
Alex ran up next to me. I glanced over at him. “Adam, I am going with you.” The elevator door opened and we stepped in. We rode down huffing and puffing, still winded from our little altercation. I couldn’t care less if he went with me. My goal was to find Bella. Why had no one called my cell phone? I dug it out of my pocket and saw that my phone was turned off. Turning it back on, lo and behold, there were several missed calls and voicemails, each one of them marked urgent. We jumped in my car and high tailed it down the highway, praying that she was all right.
40
Bella
“Ahhh!” I screamed after waking up in excruciating pain. I rolled over to my side reaching for my covers to pull them back on to the bed. For some reason, the bed felt hard and cold. Moving my hands, all I felt was concrete. I realized then that there was no bed. I immediately opened my eyes to figure out what was going on. For a few minutes, everything was a blur. When I realized that the blur was actual darkness, the events of the day came flooding back to me. Oh, God please help me, I said to myself and the father above.
“Help me,” I screamed repeatedly. I felt my stomach and my lower body parts to ensure the baby was okay. My positive assessment eased my mind. Deciding that I needed to get up I got on my knees and gradually stood.
The room was pitch black so it was hard to see. I placed my arms out in front of me to feel for a wall, a door, or anything to escape out of. A few minutes had passed by with no such luck. The fear of never getting out had me panicking. I felt like all the air had been expunged from my body. I couldn’t catch a breath.
“Help me please,” I cried.
Then I heard something that sounded like keys dangling. Suddenly the door swung opens I had to blink several times as I tried to adjust to the light coming inside. The only thing I could see was the silhouette of a man stepping in the doorway. I watched as he quickly closed the door behind him, then it was dark once again. I could hear him inhale and exhale. I feared for my life. What would he do to me? Walking backwards, I tried to move far away from the sound of his breathing. For several minutes, it seemed like he was stuck in place. I wanted to scream at him, but decided against it. The silence and anticipation of doom was disturbing me.
“What do you want?” I managed to say after an enormous amount of anticipation built up inside of me. In the next moment, the room lit up and I was finally able to see the person who brought me here against my will. Fear crept in again and this time without a doubt in my mind, I knew I was going to die. Tears formed in my eyes and ran down my face. This could not be happening it was not possible.
“Are you surprised to see me, Makaila, or do you want me to call you Bella now?” His deep voice anchored a frown before breaking into a sinister smile.
My body was shaking with terror. “H-how are you a…alive?”
“You mean how did I survive, when you shot me and left me there for dead?” He paused I am sure for a dramatic effect because I sensed he wasn’t waiting on a response from me. To prove I was right he continued without an answer. “I gotta admit I didn’t think you had what it took to pull the trigger.”
His steps continued to progress toward me. His look hadn’t changed much over the years. The difference now was his muscular body that had once been a turn on, was a turn off. There were too many times he used his strength to inflict pain. He left me battered and broken. His piercing grey eyes and his smooth dark skin used to have me craving him night after night. Now those attractive features repulsed me on sight. He rushed toward me and pulled the hair on the back of my neck. My eyes widened in shock and fear.
“Chris, please don’t hurt me,” I begged, afraid for my life.
He studied my face for a moment before his eyes traveled down the length of my body. He lets out a husky laugh. “Makaila, you should know by now, I do what I please and what pleases me right now, is making you pay for what you did to me.”
He licked the side of my cheek all the way down to my chin. I shivered and took my eyes off him. I needed to get out of here; with the lights on, I checked out my surroundings. It looked like we were in a huge storage unit with only one way out. Damn. Unannounced, Chris backhanded me and I fell on the hard, concrete ground. Immediately I began to worry for the child I was carrying. How much more can my pregnancy endure?
“Bitch, look at me when I am talking to you!” He seethed in anger. I did as I was told with my brown teary eyes looking into his livid grey ones. He bent down and touched my face with his right hand.
“That’s better, baby, you know daddy likes it when you do what you’re told. But you have been a very bad girl.” Chris yanked me up off the ground and thrust his body into mine. He grabbed my ass. I stood still. I could feel his erection poking through his jeans. I prayed that I made it out of this safely and unharmed.
“Imagine my surprise when I see my wife on the arms of some white man announcing their engagement.”
The thought of that made me smile on the inside. Adam and I were so happy then. It was a few days after he proposed at the club Touch. He said he wanted to get ahead of the press before they started hounding us. He wanted to announce our engagement to the world. He wanted everyone to know that I was his forever. Right before we left, I stepped into the living room.
“What do you think?” I asked him, showing off my new dress he had bought for the photo shoot. His mouth stood open. The dress was a nude bodice dress with ruching in the front to hide my growing baby bump.
“Sembri mozzafiato, you look stunning.” He grinned.
He pulled me toward his body. My body temperature rose as our bodies come together. His hands ran up and down my curves. He unzipped my dress and I stepped back.
“Babe, what are you doing? We have a photo shoot.”
Adam turned me around and finished unzipping my dress, placing kisses down my back. “I’m paying them not the other way around. If I need them to wait while I enjoy my fiancée, then they will wait.”
I stepped out of the dress, leaving me in nothing, but my matching red bra and panties set, with my red pumps. He guided me over to the couch and laid me down.
“God, I love your body,” he said pulling down my thong. Once off, he kissed each of my thighs then opened my legs wide.
His lips grazed over my forbidden ones that were only open for his eyes and his body to explore. And explore he did. I moaned aloud at his expertise. He licked and sucked on my outer lips before thrusting his tongue inside of me. My back arched in immediate pleasure.
“Yes, Adam!” I screamed out. The pressure intensified and in a matter of minutes, my juices flowed right out
of my body into his awaiting mouth.
“That was amazing.” I breathed out breathless. Adam made quick work at getting his clothes off. His body was like a work of art.
His tall muscular frame and bright shining blue eyes stared back at me in want and need. He put his manhood at my entrance and gave me a mind-blowing kiss. He freed my breasts from their confinement and kissed each one as he entered me. I bellowed in ecstasy.
“Oh, shit you feel so good, Bella.” Adam said, pumping in and out of my body. My hands roamed over his hard pecs and abs. We kissed passionately, loving being in each other’s embrace.
“I love you,” I moaned in his ear.
His pumps became harder taking me into another intense orgasm. His body tensed up as he released a burst of his seed deep inside of me. We lay there panting and fully satisfied.
Chris’ harsh deep voice pulled me out of one of my fondest memories.
“There I was sitting at the public library on one of their computers back in our hometown looking for work. Before I logged in on one of those job sites, I saw your face on one of those pop-up news feeds and I clicked on the link. You see, I had come back to our hometown after being locked up to find and kill you.”
I gasped at his proclamation, which put a smile on his face, displaying his white teeth.
“That’s right, Makaila. My plan was to off you like you tried to do to me. Then I read the article and I have to say I’m impressed.”
He slammed me up against the metal wall that was cold due to the climate controlled room.
“Who knew my wife was such a ho? Spreading her legs for a pretty, rich, white boy. I figure I better bring my ass down here and take care of this little situation you got yourself into. When I am done with you, I’m going to head back north to get me a piece of your fine-ass sisters. They are doing just fine, by the way.”
