by Joan Davis
Samson was shocked that Bill had spoken to her and even more shocked when Risa stopped and stood staring at her dad. She hadn’t even acknowledged their existence in days.
Risa moved closer to her dad and ran her hand along the edge of the granite counter top of the island. “You’ll be back home today, won’t you?” Risa asked, sounding a little worried but trying to hide it.
“It might be late, but I’ll be home tonight,” Bill said and caught his daughter’s hand, pulling her to him, and gave her a big hug. “You don’t have worry. I’ll be fine,” Bill said, as Risa wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.
“I love you, Daddy,” Risa mumbled against her dad’s neck. She lifted her head up and kissed Bill’s cheek and whispered to him softly.
Bill looked a bit misty and said, “My pleasure baby, but it was all you. Your mom would be so proud of you.”
Risa hugged him once more and then practically ran out of the kitchen.
Samson realized that he must be in the twilight zone. He stared at Bill and spread his arms in confusion. “We’ve been persona non grata for almost a week, and with one sentence you’re back in the club. What the hell . . .?” Samson asked, incredulous.
“It was time,” Bill said with a shrugged. He got up and rinsed his cup and placed it in the dishwasher. “I didn’t want her to worry when she figured out I was gone.”
Scowling down at Bill suspiciously, Samson said, “No way man, what am I missing? What was all that other stuff about?”
Bill frowned and said, “That is between me and my daughter. If Risa wants you to know about her private life, she will tell you. Now I have to be going, or I am going to be late,” Bill said and started to leave.
“Bill,” Samson groaned out. “Throw a guy a bone. I can’t take this much longer.”
“You’ll know what to do when the time comes. Trust me,” Bill said, patting Samson on the shoulder, and then he left looking suspiciously pleased with himself.
Samson stared after him in shock and then heard the front door open and close. “Thanks for nothing.” Samson mumbled to himself. He stomped out of the kitchen and went to his office. He was in a foul mood and thought he might as well take it out on the vendors that were behind on supply deliveries.
*****
A few hours later, Samson sat back in his leather desk chair, even more frustrated than he had been earlier. “Look, we placed that order a full six months before the build. I expect those trusses to be on time,” Samson roared into the phone. “One more delay and I will take my business elsewhere. Is that what I am going to have to do?” Samson asked firmly. A few minutes and platitudes later, the vendor promised Samson the moon. He hung up, satisfied he wouldn’t have a problem with that particular vendor again.
He sighed and resisted the urge to seek out Risa. He had heard the television in the living room come on about an hour ago, but he didn’t want to run out there like a lap dog looking for attention. He had his pride. He tapped his pen on the desk and decided that man-pride sucked.
Risa had somehow become embedded in Samson’s psyche. Even though it had been only a few short days since he first gotten to know her, he thought about her constantly. Samson was in a constant state of sexual awareness that bordered on obsession. He had always loved women, but he had never had the ferocious reaction he was having over Risa. It was like seeing a baby lamb and wanting to reach out and hold it safe in your arms, only to find out this particular lamb had a fierce roar and a terrible temper to match. This fragile little lamb is going to send me right over the edge and I’m going to go willingly, with a smile, Samson thought with a groan.
He knew part of his caution in approaching Risa stemmed from everything Bill had told him. He felt like an awkward teenager fighting with his first girlfriend. He had no idea how to navigate around her. Cursing and throwing the pen down, Samson made a decision. He was who he was, and if Risa couldn’t live with that, then it was better they both learn it now, rather than later.
Risa sat on the couch and stared at the TV without really seeing it. She found herself listening for Samson. She heard him on the phone in his office, but he had never come out to the living room, even when she turned up the volume on the TV. Picking at the fray of her cut-offs Risa was at a loss. She was also hurt that Samson had never once apologized. She was scared and unsure of herself, and she didn’t have anyone to talk to, so she withdrew and protected herself the only way she knew how. I miss Samson, Risa thought sadly and stared at the TV.
Suddenly, Samson was in front of Risa. Grabbing the remote out of her hand, he turned off the TV. Before she could move, he plucked her up in his arms. He sat down on the couch and had her facing him and straddling his thighs in seconds. When Risa tried to climb off, he gripped her hips gently, but firmly, and kept her in place.
“We aren’t moving until you talk to me, so deal with it,” Samson stated emphatically.
Risa’s eyes immediately iced over, and she stared and him mutely, like he was a distasteful piece of scum.
Jesus, Bill was right. She can shred you with those eyes, Samson thought in awe, but he refused to let his emotions show on his face. After all, he outweighed her by well over a hundred pounds. He was an ex-bounty hunter. He had faced down drug dealers and murderers. He wasn’t going to let this tiny woman get the better of him. Show no fear. Show no fear.
Risa was trapped on Samson’s lap, and he wasn’t budging. “So now you’re telling me how I am supposed to act? That’s just perfect,” she spit out. “You don’t even almost get it,” Risa said hotly and crossed her arms over her chest defensively.
“How the hell can I ‘get’ it when you won’t even talk to me?” Samson roared at her.
“I AM NOT A BABY! I don’t need another father telling me what to do. One is enough, thank you very much,” Risa roared right back.
“All I did was let you know that it was okay to leave me alone with your dad and you went off on me. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel like I was telling you what to do,” Samson growled in frustration. He leaned his head back to stare at the ceiling, trying to stay calm. “Risa, you need to realize that I am used to being in charge. I am rough, and I don’t always watch what I say or do. I doubt I’m going to change, and I am going to make mistakes. You can’t just freeze me out when I do. Yell at me, hit me, throw something at me, but don’t act like I don’t exist. It’s not fair,” Samson sighed and lifted his head, and was shocked at the look on Risa’s face. She looked like a very satisfied girl and not in a good way.
“Now was that so hard?” Risa asked happily.
“Was what so hard?” Samson asked suspiciously. He had a funny feeling he wasn’t going to like her answer.
Risa shrugged innocently, and she plucked absently at his T-shirt. “Saying you’re sorry.”
“You mean to tell me that I spent four days in Dante’s frozen hell, and all I needed to do was say, I’m sorry?” Samson had sat up straighter with each word and forced Risa to rear back.
“Well, you should have known. You’re the one who said the wrong thing. It was your responsibility to apologize,” Risa said defensively.
“Woman, you are going to drive me crazy,” Samson said, his voice low and frustrated. “You could have just told me what you wanted. I thought you didn’t want to be told what to do, so I have been making a point to watch how I said things to you. If I had known you just needed an apology, I would have done it the first damn day. From now on you have to tell me what you need. I can’t read your mind,” Samson said frowning, then seeing the beginnings of storm clouds in Risa’s eyes, he said quickly, “Hey now, that was not an order. That was a request.” And then something else occurred to him. “By the way, why did you let your dad off the hook? He didn’t apologize, but you forgave him.”
“He’s my dad.” Risa said simply, looking at Samson like he should understand the difference. Risa shrugged and rubbed her chest bone absently. “I can’t read your mind either. I thought you didn�
�t care enough to apologize,” she said softly.
“Baby, if I didn’t care, I wouldn’t have had a hard-on since the moment I sat you on my lap,” Samson growled low, loving the knowledge that his deep voice was having an effect on her. It was one of the many things that had him thinking about her night and day.
Risa wanted to laugh and knew Samson was trying to shock her, so she decided to fight fire with fire. She pretended to look confused. “Oh, I thought that was just about the horn dog thing,” she said in a sympathetic whisper and blinked at him innocently. She felt so alive when she was near Samson. Everything around her seemed to get brighter, and she had such clarity in her mind. It was a heady feeling to be able to experience emotions other than fear and dread.
Samson narrowed his eyes menacingly. “Oh it’s all for you, baby,” he said lecherously, and then looked thoughtful. “You know there was one good thing to come out of all of this.”
“What?” Risa asked cautiously.
“I know you think I’m hot,” he said with a great deal of male satisfaction.
“I . . . You . . .,” Risa sputtered and turned bright red.
“It’s okay. You don’t have to say anything. I know how you feel, baby,” Samson said generously.
Risa smiled shyly and nonchalantly swung herself off of Samson’s lap, relieved that he didn’t try to stop her. She stood up and put a little space between them. She opened the big French doors that led out to the large porch that circled the house. The covered porch opened up to a tiered lower deck, all overlooking the beautiful crystal clear lake. Risa took a deep breath. She looked over her shoulder at Samson and smiled devilishly. “How do you know I was talking about you?”
Samson laughed, but there was air of doubt in his voice when he asked, “Who else could you have been talking about?”
Risa shrugged and looked thoughtful, “Your friend Mikhail is pretty hot. He’s all mysterious and intense, very . . . Eastern European. Girls like those smoldering good looks.” She took a step backward onto the porch as she watched Samson stand slowly and start towards her.
“Bullshit woman, admit you think I’m hot,” Samson demanded, planning on punching Mik in the face for no particular reason.
Risa took several steps back as Samson got closer to the French doors. She looked at him with pretended pity and said, “Look, you’re very pretty, and once you lose that baby fat . . .” Risa yelped, spun around and ran as Samson growled and lunged after her. She only got about ten feet before he swung her off her feet and slung her over his shoulder. He continue out on the deck and towards the lake without even breaking stride. “Samson, put me down. You’d better not do what you’re thinking of doing,” Risa said, trying not to laugh. She was experiencing sheer joy and amusement as Samson’s playful nature was revealed.
Samson just bounced Risa on his shoulder and laughed when she grunted. “Admit you think I’m hot or you are going to be a very wet girl,” Samson said calmly and kept walking right on to the dock and out to the edge of the big platform. “One last chance, woman,” he said.
Realizing she was not getting out this, Risa said, “Okay, Okay. Put me down and I will tell you what you need to hear,” she said in her best defeated voice. Risa loved playing with Samson. He was so large, and yet so gentle. She felt safe to be herself with him.
Suspicious, Samson hesitated but then lowered her to the dock and took a half step back, cocked an eyebrow, and crossed his arms over his chest, waiting silently.
Licking her lips, Risa took a deep breath and said, “Maybe with a new hair style and a little make-up . . . Samson!” Risa screamed, as she found herself flying through the air and splashing inelegantly into the lake. She came up sputtering and laughing and saw Samson stripping down to his boxers.
Samson dove in and came up right in front of her, his lips claiming hers. He pulled her against him, and Risa instinctively wrapped her arms and legs around him. Samson broke the kiss. “Say it,” he demanded hoarsely.
“Or what, you’ll kiss me?” Risa wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.
“Are you ticklish, Risa?” Samson asked, threatening.
“Samson . . .” Risa began beseechingly and then convulsed in uncontrollable laughter as he tickled her without mercy.
Samson’s heart swelled as he watched Risa enjoy herself. He realized she loved to have fun, so he gave her what she wanted. They played, they teased, and best of all they laughed. Samson floated on his back with Risa on top of him and they talked nonsense. He showed her how to do a back dive from the platform and how to complete an underwater flip. In turn, Risa showed him how to give butterfly kisses with her eyelashes. Samson didn’t tell Risa, but he secretly thought it was wildly erotic.
While holding onto Samson in deeper water, Risa groused that she was too short and wished she was tall like him. Laughing at her envy, he said, “Being tall isn’t as great as it’s made out to be. You bump your head on low door jams. It’s hard to find comfortable furniture that fits you. You always have to bend down, and that’s really a hassle.” Samson shook his head trying to look sad and pitiful.
Risa snorted and said, “Do you want to know what it’s like to be short when everyone around you is tall?” Risa let go of Samson and swam over the dock. She climbed out of the water. Once on the edge of the dock she had Samson stand directly below her in the water, so that he was looking up at her. Risa struck a body builder’s pose with her fists curling inward. “Now you know how I feel,” she said in a low voice, trying to imitate Samson.
Samson threw his head back and roared with laughter. He rubbed his chest bone the way he had seen Risa do in the past and said in a high-pitch voice, “My word, your low voice excites me.”
Risa gaped at Samson’s audacity and then did a cannonball into the water, splashing water in his face.
Samson tugged Risa to him when she surfaced and hugged her close. Regardless of their height difference, Samson loved the feel of her against his body. They continued to play and swim for over an hour, and then finished by lying on the dock and letting the sun dry them.
“Samson,” Risa said causing him to rise up on his elbow to look down at her expectantly. “I think you’re really hot, scorching actually,” she said, staring into his beautiful eyes with such brave sincerity that it humbled Samson.
He leaned down and gently kissed her lips. “And you are the most beautiful, sexy woman I’ve ever met,” he said, staring into her eyes so she could see the truth in his.
Risa smiled, but then swallowed hard and rubbed her forehead in indecision.
“What is it Risa? Just say it,” Samson urged and gently brushed her cheek with his fingers. Sometimes she seemed so delicate that he was almost afraid to touch her.
“I’ve never gone all the way . . . I mean I haven’t been with a man exactly . . . Those people who had me . . . they didn’t . . ., I mean, I was with you, but we didn’t . . .” Risa stopped, totally at a loss for how to say what she wanted to say. She stared miserably at Samson, knowing he must think she was an immature child.
Samson stared down at her silently, and then leaned down and kissed her deeply. His tongue thrust into Risa’s mouth and coaxed hers to respond. He didn’t pull away until they were both breathing harshly. “Baby, if I am the first man you choose to be with, I will count myself as the luckiest man on this planet,” Samson said hoarsely. I better be the only man or I’m going to jail for murder, he thought to himself.
“Wow,” Risa said through a watery smile. “Don’t I even rate the Universe?” She felt her heart expand as Samson’s words flooded into her soul.
Grinning, Samson teased, “Hey, I have future goals I have to reach. I can’t use my best stuff all at once!”
Laughing, Risa hugged him and silently thanked God for this day.
*****
He sat watching the woman Saren had promised would be their High Priestess, the one who would lead them to all-knowing power and wisdom. He knew it had all been a lie. Saren was no warlock. The
re was no High Priestess. It had all been a scam by Saren to get him and others like him to follow him. Saren had taken their money, their families and their trust and tossed it away like a hand full of dirt. Saren had also taken his brother’s life.
He looked through the rifle scope at his target. He could blow the side of the witch’s head off right now, but he stopped himself. No, that was too quick and painless a death. He wanted her to know she was going to die. He wanted to see the terror and pain in her eyes as he slowly sliced into her. Her screams would fill his empty soul with satisfaction. Saren would pay for his betrayal soon. He would keep the witch lingering and in pain, before he ended her life. But she wasn’t a witch, he thought, confusion beginning to spin in his brain.
Shaking his head violently, rage settled inside his soul and became part of him. The woman had gotten away twice now. Not again. Next time, he would not hesitate to end her miserable existence, after a bit of satisfaction. But first, he would let her know how vulnerable she was and that he could get to her anytime he wanted.
He continued watching through his scope as she laughed with Sam Knight in the water. He saw how they kissed and held each other. Fury ran through him, and then he smiled. Knight was kissing a dead woman, and he didn’t even realize it. He wondered what Knight’s reaction would be when he found her body in pieces and left to rot by the lake she loved so much.
He knew he had to be careful. One of the men Knight had patrolling the properties stood only twenty feet away. The other man patrolling had passed by twice now. He was so tempted to take them out with his silencer and leave them for Knight to find. But that would mess up his grand plan. He had to be patient and wait. Their time would come.
He had no plans to reveal himself. He was very close to eliminating everyone that could tie him to Saren or the coven. No one would ever realize he had been involved. No one would even suspect him. He was a soulless ghost that would hand out the deadly sentences to those who betrayed him. They would never see him coming. His mask was too firmly in place.
