Life Sentence

by Carolyn Arnold

  He placed his glass on the side table and moved closer to her.

  “I love you.”

  How many times had he poured that expression on her today? The term was quickly losing value. His simple words revealed the true motive for his invitation.

  He put an arm around her. “I just thought if you were closer to me, I could protect you.”

  She wet her lips, staring at a place behind him. Seconds later, the blur that he had been came into focus. “There will still be times when we’re apart even if I did move in with you. You can’t be with me twenty-four hours a day.”

  The seriousness in his eyes shifted to a playful nature.

  “Probably a good thing. I’d never get any sleep.”

  “Hmm, how did I figure you’d say something like that?” She tucked her head into the groove of his shoulder and said lowly, “Don’t plan on getting any sleep tonight.”

  “I was hoping you’d say that.”

  He took her mouth and they gave in to the moment.

  -

  Chapter 9

  HE WATCHED HER FROM THE end of the bed as she lay sleeping. Enough light seeped through the sheers to afford him the view despite the early hour. She was naked and intertwined in his silver satin sheets. Her blonde hair cascaded over the pillow. The thought of any harm coming to her ripped at his soul. And the prospect that such damage could come to her due to him was incomprehensible.

  She didn’t fully appreciate the danger she was in, but somehow he had to make her realize it. And it would take a lot to convince her. She could be stubborn.

  The words of the letter resonated in his skull. I pay with my life. You pay with yours and with those of whom you love.

  She stirred in the bed.

  “Good morning, beautiful.” He crawled in beside her from the bottom of the bed.

  She stretched and faced him. Her eyes were merely slits.

  “Morning.” A faint smile grew into a large yawn.

  He stroked her face with the back of his hand.

  “Oh God, what time is it?” She jolted into a seated position in search of the alarm clock and caught him looking at her naked torso.

  “I can tell you what time I wish it was.” He smiled.

  Wrapping his arm around her, he cupped her right breast with his hand and pulled her toward him.

  “I’m sure.” She laughed and snuggled into his chest. His arm encased her.

  He held her close, savoring her warm breath on his skin. She was so soft and so delicate but had a fighting spirit. He saw it when she lost her parents. Despite her loss, she worked hard to make something of herself and not give in to self-pity or heartbreak.

  If Dimitre thought he could saturate their lives with fear, he was mistaken. They would boldly face up to him and his allies, united. These periods of confident thinking were inevitably followed by more negative foregleams of the future.

  We might not make it out alive.

  Feeling defeat disgraced him. He knew his father would have been disgusted. His father likely never experienced a second of fear or uncertainty in his entire life. Even after his last major heart attack, William refused to give up. But unfortunately, willpower and sheer determination were not enough, and he succumbed in the late fall, two years ago.

  At that time, Bryan’s world had crashed around him and for the first time he knew pain.

  While his relationship with his mother had become estranged, his father was his mentor. His death immortalized him. Bryan had become the man he was due to his direction. He had been molded into the press of a defense attorney. While his father likely faced the same threats during his career, he would never shy away from them. The Lexan men had their share of enemies, but a larger band of friends—powerful friends.

  “You seem really deep in thought.” She pulled her head back and lightly slapped his chest. “Bryan?”

  Torn from his memories and apprehensions of the future, he didn’t say anything.

  “I should really get going. I still have the drive back and I’ve got to get to work.” She supported herself on the bed, kissed him on the lips, and bounded up.

  He didn’t try to stop her.

  Hours later he wished he had.

  With her gone, the house was cold and empty. He needed to make her realize what she meant to him. He knew he’d been distant from her, but it wasn’t intentional. Fear can change a person, and he hated that it had that ability. Somehow he had to shift his thinking.

  He justified his weak thoughts of defeat by convincing himself it was over-exertion on the trial and the lack of a day off. He needed today to himself, to rejuvenate and focus on the issue at hand. He had to beat this son of a bitch Dimitre at his own game.

  But first he needed to make a call.

  He picked up the cordless phone that was sitting on the table in front of him. Waiting for the connection, he laid back on the sofa, one arm behind his head. There was just silence.

  “Hello?”

  “Hi?” A woman’s voice responded.

  “Colleen?”

  She must have been trying to reach him at the same time and the lines crossed without ringing.

  She laughed, obviously recognizing his voice. “Well, I’d say I was just calling you but that much would be clear. So what did you call for? You go first.”

  “I won’t be in today. I’m taking a day for myself, catching up on some sports.” He realized she called the house line, not his cell phone. Bryan smiled. “But you knew that you’d find me at the house, didn’t you?” This woman always had a way of reading his mind.

  “I tried your cell first. There was no answer.”

  There goes her telepathic ability. “Okay, so what’s up?”

  “I don’t know if I want to ask now.”

  “Then you bothered me for nothing?”

  “Be quiet. You know with an attitude like yours, I shouldn’t hesitate to ask anything. Could you pick Will up from school? His principal called and he’s sick with a slight fever. I’m meeting with the Sikorski brothers. You know how important getting their business would be for the firm.” The tail end of her statement carried the hint of a whine.

  “It’s fine. I’ll get him. We’ll spend the day here.”

  “You’re a lifesaver, Bryan. Thank you.” Her tone of voice lightened. “I’ll pick him up around the dinner hour.”

  “We’ll be here. See you later.” Bryan hung up the phone, sat forward, and glanced at his watch. The kid only made it a couple hours into the day.

  THE SCHOOLYARD WAS VACANT WHEN he pulled up. Class must be in session. He headed to the principal’s office and spotted Will, who sat there with flushed cheeks. His skin appeared clammy, and his hair was damp. It didn’t stop Bryan from walking over and running a hand over his head.

  “Hey, kid.”

  “Mr. Lexan?” A secretary asked, walking over. Bryan nodded.

  When their eyes connected, he noticed her body language change. Her hand lightly rested on one hip. She balanced most of her weight on one leg, the other was bent provocatively. She smiled, but he didn’t respond in kind. She straightened her posture.

  “Miss Clive said to expect you. He’s been having a rough go of it this morning. Poor guy has spent more time in the washroom than class.” She made a sad face for Will’s benefit.

  “Come on, buddy,” Bryan held a hand out for him. Will instinctively latched on and they left the school.

  Will perked up just being with Bryan. “Can we play video games?”

  “Well—” Bryan reached over to turn the radio off. “I suppose, but you should get some rest too. And no being sick in the car, or I’ll have to kill you and find a good place to hide the body.”

  Will’s eyes widened.

  Bryan smiled. “Never, buddy, but seriously no puking in my car.”

  He h
eld his vehicle in high esteem. A Lotus Exige S 240, painted in Moonstone silver, a five thousand dollar option, but to him it was a necessary feature. He had just spent good money to get it detailed too.

  “Okay.” Will’s voice was small and he faced out the side window.

  “Boy, you must be sick. You’re quiet.”

  Will moaned lowly in response. Normally Will was chatty, full of questions and stories. Bryan put the radio back on. He hated silence.

  “MY BOY.” Rosa greeted them in the front entry and her face lit into a wide smile. She had known him since he was a year old. “You’re not feeling well?” She bent over and rested a hand on his forehead to gauge his temperature. “You’re burning up. Let Rosa get you a warm bowl of chicken soup.”

  Will’s lips formed a small pout and he nodded.

  Once Rosa left, Will forgot his illness. He bounded toward the media room.

  Bryan chuckled. The boy knew where the entertainment was—large-screen television with surround sound and more video games in a storage unit than most department stores. Bryan hurried to catch up.

  “Hey Champ, I thought you were sick.”

  “I am.”

  Will continued taking out the controllers and picking the game he wanted. He sat down crossing his legs on the floor and petitioned Bryan with his big, brown eyes.

  “Okay, but when your head starts nodding off, you’re going to bed.”

  Bryan turned the television on and set it to the proper input. He’d have hell to pay with Colleen later. But as the saying goes, what she doesn’t know won’t hurt her.

  “YOU DIDN’T LET HIM PLAY games all day, I hope,” Colleen said. She hadn’t been there five minutes.

  “Of course not.” She did say all day so it wasn’t a lie.

  “Well, thank you again.” She scanned the room for Will. “Where is he?”

  “Asleep. He finally gave in.” He laughed. “Stubborn like his mother.”

  “Very droll. I hate to wake him, but I’ve got to get back to the city.” She twisted her wrist to check her watch.

  “You’re always in a rush. Come in and sit for a bit.” He gestured her toward the white couch.

  She shook her head. “I have to get back. Too much to do, too little time.”

  “You work too hard.” Bryan noticed Rosa, who pretended to dust a photo frame on a table nearby. She had been cleaning that same table since Colleen came in and was doing a poor job of disguising her eavesdropping.

  Bryan addressed her. “Would you be so kind as to get Will?” He gestured for her to go wake him.

  Rosa rolled her eyes before heading for the stairs.

  Bryan didn’t really know why she copped an attitude with the eyes, but he let it go.

  He asked Colleen, “How did it go with the brothers of shame?” He referred to her meeting with the Sikorski brothers. They were facing fraud and embezzlement charges.

  “Please don’t get me started. I’ve had the worst day. And you know Kelvin?”

  Bryan nodded.

  “He kept trying to put his hands all over me. What a creep. I swear, Bryan, if I didn’t need the money.”

  “Mom!” Will came running toward his mother. He flung his arms around her and when she bent over to hug him, he planted a sloppy kiss on her lips.

  She kissed the side of his head and squeezed him.

  “Time to go, hon. Say good-bye to Bryan.”

  She struggled to release the grip of a contesting seven-year-old from her legs. Eventually, he gave in and backed up.

  “Oh, but, Mom. I like it here. He’s got cool games.”

  “See the jury’s in, you’ll have to stay for dinner.” Bryan smiled in an attempt to make her stay despite her resolve to leave. He watched her face harden and bent down to break the news to Will. “Sorry, bud, but you have to leave. Mom’s got more work to do.” Bryan stood and wrestled his hand on the top of Will’s head. “We’ll get together real soon. Maybe all of us can go to the zoo one day?”

  “Yeah, yeah.” Will jumped around at his feet.

  “Well, at least he seems a lot better,” Bryan said.

  Her eyes conveyed irritation. Maybe it was his statement about the zoo. He wasn’t sure. When he thought he had the woman figured out, there were always surprises.

  THE CHIME ON THE HALLWAY clock rang eleven. It reverberated in his mind. He couldn’t believe how fast the day had gone. He accredited that to Will. What a refreshment to see the world from the standpoint of a young person. They were more down to earth, carefree. They weren’t corrupted with the trials of life like their older counterparts. Bryan only wished that when Will grew up his stress would be minimal.

  He was also beginning to see the unfortunate truth that one couldn’t have wealth and prestige without sacrifice.

  Bryan rested his one elbow on his desk and pressed his fingers to his forehead, willing the headache to ease up. But it had settled in, and he believed it might become a permanent feature of his state of being.

  He had been sitting in his den, which was illuminated only by a small desk lamp and the light of the fire, for the past two hours. Rosa had said goodnight to him at nine thirty. The woman operated like clockwork, every night, same time. Yet here he sat, watching the briefcase that sat on one of the leather chairs in front of the fireplace. His visitor would be arriving at any time now. Taking a large swig of his Scotch, he mentally forced himself to get up.

  He peered out one of the side windows by the front door, and the reflection of a man took him off guard. Bryan let him in, without speaking a word, and led him into his den.

  Bryan grabbed the case from the chair and placed it on the desk. He unsnapped the clasps. It opened to disclose its contents of five hundred thousand dollars. Fifty stacks of bills were bound with paper bands.

  “This is the first installment. You’ll get the rest after the job is taken care of. As it stands, I assume this will take care of things.”

  The man stepped over to inspect the quantity of cash and nodded his head.

  “And here is your package, Mr. Lexan.” He pulled a folded manila envelope from his inside jacket pocket.

  Bryan reached for the envelope, lifted the flap and pulled its contents partially out before sliding them back inside. “Looks good.”

  “Good doing business with you then.”

  The man latched the case, tipped his hat, and left the den.

  After hearing the front door close behind his visitor, he could breathe again. His heart rate slowed down.

  He poured himself another Scotch and emptied the glass while studying the portraits of his ancestors that lined the wall above the fireplace—generations of successful, dominant men.

  Their eyes looked down on him, judging him, condemning him.

  He slammed the base of the glass on the mantle and braced himself against it. He watched the fire and reflected on what he had set in motion.

  -

  Chapter 10

  “JESS, DON’T YOU THINK YOU’RE overreacting a little?” Nella placed a cardboard layout of some designs on an A-frame and stepped back to analyze it.

  “Nella, you don’t even know what you’re talking about.” Jessica took a drink from her water bottle. “What if you were in my shoes?”

  “Oh, no, don’t do that to me.” Nella smiled, her eyes sparkling with a devilish mischievousness. “I’ve never had a relationship like the one you’re in, missy. If I had a man like Bryan, I’d be all over him.”

  She lunged toward Jessica’s desk, clawing and letting out a mock roar in an attempt to impersonate a wild animal going after its prey.

  Jessica crumpled up a piece of paper and threw it at her. “I do love him a lot.”

  Nella caught the paper mid-flight. “Then what’s the problem? He’s got plenty of room up there at the castle.” She dropped herself into a chair.<
br />
  “I know. I just want him to make a decision like this because he wants to, not because he’s feeling outside pressure to.”

  Jessica had explained to Nella that with the case being lost, Dimitre wasn’t happy, and everyone knew that having a Russian Mob Boss unhappy with you wasn’t the key to a long and thriving life. She didn’t tell her about the phone call she received. Nella would overreact more than Bryan.

  “Anyway, enough about it. We’ve been talking about this since Tuesday. It’s Friday, and may I add, time to go home.” She stood up quickly and took her purse from the coat rack beside her desk. She slipped it over her shoulder in one motion. “Have a good weekend.”

  “I will. You don’t remember, girl? It’s my first date with Dylan tonight. It’s all about you and your crisis of a love life.” Nella brushed her hand across her forehead pretending to be weak in the knees and faint. “Girl has it so bad. A wealthy, and may I add hot, man wants you to move in with him.” She laughed.

  “You’re right, I had forgotten about your date.” Jessica didn’t want to continue talking about Bryan. She locked the door behind them. “Mister Yummy, wasn’t that what you called him?”

  “Oh, yeah, and I plan on eating me a full course tonight!” Nella raised her fist in the air.

  “Well, have fun and you better fill me in on the details.”

  Nella’s smile was permanent. “See ya.”

  The women went their separate ways. Jessica was tired and somewhat relieved to be alone. It had been a long week, and she ran behind on her sleep requirements. Staying up until the early hours with Bryan on Monday, and with working extended hours all week, she rejoiced that it was Friday. She had a date with her couch.

  She sifted through her mail until she reached her apartment. She had been down this hall so many times she didn’t need to look up to know she reached it. She shuffled the envelopes into one hand and searched through her purse for her keys. It wasn’t until her hands reached for the handle that she realized the door sat partially open.

  Her heart sank within her, nearly stalling. The prank call. An internal voice cautioned her not to go inside, but an inner compulsion forced her to push the door open.