by A. L Long
"I know, Lilly. We've all had our share of anger sometime or another," he replied, referring to Peter.
"I'm heading to the gallery, just so you know," I said, smiling at him.
“I'll follow you down," Cop said as we entered the elevator.
Just as we hit the main floor, I forgot that I left a file on a new artist in my car. "I'll meet you out front; I just need to grab something from my car."
"I can come with you," Cop volunteered.
"Don't be silly. It will only take a sec," I reassured him.
"Okay," he nodded reluctantly.
"See you out front," I confirmed before the elevator door closed.
Pushing the lower level, I waited for the elevator to stop at the level where my car was. Even though I loved where I lived, I wished my parking spot was a little closer to the elevator. Walking to where my car was parked, I began to get this eerie feeling that I wasn’t the only one in the parking garage. Increasing my pace, my walk turned into a slow jog as I headed in the direction of my car. As I placed my hand on the handle of my car door, thinking that I was safe, I heard his voice behind me. "Hello, Lilly. We never got to finish what we started at the gallery."
My skin began to crawl with the sound of his voice so close to my ear. When I tried to pull the door open, his hand pressed against the window, causing the door to slam shut. Taking a swing at him, I tried to throw him off balance so I could at least get away long enough to climb one floor up to where Cop would be waiting for me. My judgment must have been off, because he got one in first, causing my light to turn to dark.
~****~
My head was throbbing as my eyes slowly opened. I wasn't sure where I was, but from what I could see it was a bedroom with very expensive furnishings. I tried to sit up, but my hands were bound to the headboard with handcuffs. Looking to the end of the bed, I could see that the clothes I was wearing were no longer on me. The only thing covering my body was a sheer nightgown. My head was a little foggy, but I remembered hearing Pierre's voice behind me and then the feeling of his fist across my cheek. I wished I had listened to Cop and let him follow me to my car. What the hell was I thinking?
Laying my head back on the pillow, I knew an escape attempt was useless. The cuffs were too tight around my wrists. I couldn't wiggle out of them if I tried. The only thing I could do was wait until someone showed up.
Hearing what sounded like the unlocking of the door, I raised my head from the pillow to see if I could tell who was coming. When the door opened, it was Pierre standing in the doorway. Holding a tray, he walked towards the bed. "You're awake. Good. I brought you something to eat. I knew you would be hungry since you have been out for a while."
"What do you want from me Pierre?" I asked, pulling on my restraints.
"For us to be together. I knew from the first moment I saw you in Paris, that I should have never let you go," he said regretfully as he placed the tray on the nightstand. "Now, if you behave, I'll uncuff you so you can sit up."
Nodding my head, I watched as he pulled a small key from his pocket. Unlatching the cuff, he assisted me to sit up by putting his hands under my arms and lifting me high up in the bed. Removing the dome from the plate, he began to prepare my meal. Scooping up a small portion onto a fork, he looked to me and said, "Open, Lilly."
I had no other choice but to open my mouth as he gently placed the food between my lips. Unsure of what he was feeding me, I took in the flavor. It was surprisingly good. With each bite, my stomach began to fill. I was about half way through my meal when I told him, "No more."
"Very well," he said. "Even though you didn't eat very much, I will let it go this time." He turned and placed the dome back over the remaining food on the plate. "I'm going to get this out of here, then I will be back to draw you a bath."
I tried to hit him with my free hand, but that only made him angry. Pulling me down on the bed, his body was now over mine. I tried to wiggle free, but he was able to take hold of my arm and resecure my hand in the handcuff. Looking down on me, he lowered his mouth to mine. I shook my head back and forth, not wanting any part of him touching me. He clasped his hand on my chin, holding my head in place, causing me to stop my movement. Lowering his head inches from mine, he whispered calmly, "It would behoove you to stop fighting me, Lilly. I'm not letting you go this time."
His lips lowered to mine and he kissed me with such force that I could taste a hint of blood as my teeth dug into my lip. With a triumphant smirk, he pushed from me and gathered the tray, leaving the room. I wanted so badly to wipe the grime from my lips, but I couldn’t. Instead, I used the skin of my upper arm and transferred it from my lips to another part of by body.
My only hope now was that I could find a way to get away from him when he came back for my bath.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Peter
Totally beside myself, I couldn't believe this was happening again. I was no closer in getting Pierre than I was a few days ago. The only difference was that now he had Lilly. I had to find her. Hawk had this funny feeling that Pierre may not have moved from the apartment he had rented across the street from Lilly's place. There was one thing I could always count on, and that was Hawk's instincts. It was like he knew the actions of a stalker, more importantly, Pierre Marchand’s.
It was no surprise when we broke into Pierre's apartment that we had all the evidence we needed to prove that this guy was a nut job and needed to be locked up. I had never seen so many photos of Lilly, as I had, hanging on his walls. What really made me angry was some of the photos were of her naked body. I couldn’t understand how he could have gotten so close to her to take all of those pictures, not until I found his telescope pointed directly at Lilly's bedroom window. Even though I knew that Lilly would never stand in front of the window to get dressed, I knew exactly how he was able to capture her. The mirror on her dresser was positioned at just the right angle that he could see her reflection from the mirror. He then used a high-resolution telescopic lens to get the pictures he wanted. It made me sick just thinking about him jacking off while he watched her.
While I was feeling like I was ready to lose it, Hawk walked up to me with a folder. "You need to take a look at this, Peter."
Opening the folder, I saw a deed to some place in Southampton. The name on the deed didn't match Pierre's, so I had no clue why I was even looking at it. It was only when Hawk pointed out the trustee that I began to put two and two together. Pierre’s mom must have remarried, but kept her maiden name. She was the owner of the estate and the current executor of his trust. Scanning the rest of the documents in the folder, more information was revealed. It was beginning to make sense. Pierre Marchand was tied to Lilly in more ways than one. "We need to get to this house in Southampton," I said. "If he has her, that's the only place he would take her."
I took four of my men with me to Southampton: Hawk, Cop, Sly, and Ryan. I figured with the five of us, we would be able to take Pierre down and get Lilly. I didn't know what to expect when we got there. I just wanted to be prepared for anything that could happen. Getting into our vehicles, Hawk rode with me in my Camaro while Sly and Ryan rode with Cop in his power truck. I was the lead vehicle, so I took the fastest route I knew of in order to get there as quickly as possible.
There was an accident on I-495, causing us to cut across to Hwy 27. It wasn’t the best route, but it would be the fastest. I could feel Hawk's eyes on me, as my speeds were well above the posted limit. "I know what you're thinking, Hawk. I can't waste any time. Its two fucking hours to Southampton and I need to cut as much time as possible."
"You didn't hear me say anything," Hawks said, raising his hands in surrender.
"You didn't have to. I could see it on your face," I retorted.
Nothing more was said about my excess speed. It was already late when we left Manhattan, so by the time we reached Southampton it was dark. The only thing we had to go by was the address. I wasn't familiar with the town, so I only had the GPS to direct us t
o the right location.
Once we arrived at our destination, the large house came into view. I wasn't sure what I was expecting, but seeing the size of the house, I knew it was going to be an obstacle. Lilly could be anywhere inside. Our only advantage was that it was dark and hopefully we would be able to move around the property unnoticed.
I pulled the car around the block, thinking this was our best bet. Another problem I saw was the gate in front of the house. This was another reason for us parking around the block. If I had to guess, the property was outfitted with surveillance cameras. I didn't see any driving past the front gates, but that didn't mean there weren't any scattered along the perimeter of the house.
Grabbing everything we might need, we headed to the vine-covered fence just north of the entrance gate. As we scaled the brick and iron fence, I noticed most of the lights were burning on the lower floor while only one light on the second floor was on. Resting my body on the top edge of the fence, I pulled out my binoculars to scan the house. I couldn't see any movements through the windows on the lower floor. Moving my focus to the upper floor, particularly the room where the lights were on, I tried to see if I could see any movements through the door leading to the balcony outside. Focusing the lens, I captured it. There she was, sitting in a chair near what looked to be a vanity. I could see movement behind her. Moving my sights, I just about lost it. Standing behind her, Pierre had his hands on her. Even though he was just brushing her hair, the thought of him being so close to her, caused me to snap. I almost gave away our position when Pierre looked my way. Lowering my body in a prone position, I didn't move. Keeping my eyes on him at all times, I watched as he moved back to Lilly and resumed his task. Watching him touch her, caress her hair with each stroke of the brush and then kiss her tenderly on the cheek, made me lose it completely.
I couldn't watch anymore. This motherfucker just took his last breath. Aiming my rifle at his frame, I waited for him to move so I could get a clear shot. With my hand on the trigger, I watched as he slowly turned my way. This was my chance, only I didn't get it. Hawk placed his hand on the barrel of my gun and lowered it, causing me to miss my chance. Looking at him, I whispered with gritted teeth, "What the fuck?" Taking his cue, I looked over to where he was pointing. I was so focused on Lilly that I didn't notice the older man and woman leaving the house through the front door. They must have been servants by the way they were dressed.
I waited until the two of them got into their car and drove off before I tried for another shot. My chance never came. Lilly was no longer at the vanity, nor was Pierre. I knew we needed to get closer. Jumping down from the edge of the fence, I stayed low to the ground, watching the sedan pull through the gates. I wasn't sure what the house was equipped with, but I couldn't take the chance that motion sensors would be activated. My guys were close behind me. I signaled for Sly and Ryan to head to the front door, while Hawk, Cop, and I headed around back.
Once we were inside, Cop went to search for the basement, while the rest of us waited. Once the power was cut, we knew Cop had found the fuse box. Even though we were unfamiliar with the house, we did our best work in the dark. Ascending the stairs two at a time, Hawk and I headed to where we thought the room where Lilly was being held was. Staying low to the ground, I reached up and turned the knob to the door. It was dark, but the light shining through the glass patio doors from the moon told me we were in the right place. Inching along the floor, I could hear sounds coming from another room, which I assumed was either a bathroom or a closet.
Something happened, because all of a sudden the lights came on in the room. I heard a noise coming from the closed door. Aiming my gun, I waited for it to open. As the door slowly opened, my heart began to pound. Lilly was being held by the waist with her hands cuffed behind her. "Peter," she cried.
"It's over, Pierre. Let her go." I hissed.
"Nice try. I would say you are at a little disadvantage," he sneered, holding Lilly steady as he displayed the gun he was holding on her.
"I know all about you, Pierre, I know about this house, the gallery in Paris, your parents," I said, needing to keep his mind focused on me.
"You don't know anything, asshole."
"I know that you lost everything. I know your parents lost the gallery in Paris and that Lilly's parents bought it. But most of all, I know about Candice. I know what her parents did to you. Lilly is not Candice, Pierre," I replied, knowing my words were beginning to get to him.
"Shut up! You know nothing about Candice and what we had. Lilly is exactly like Candice. She's sweet and compassionate. Most of all, she's mine," he choked.
I needed to do something fast. I could see the fear in Lilly's eyes. The way he was pushing the gun into her side, I knew I didn’t have much time. Hearing Hawk’s voice through my earpiece, I wait for his signal as the door opened drawing Pierre off balance. This was my only chance. Instead of shooting him with the rifle at my side, I grabbed for my Glock and pointed slowly, pulling the trigger, sending several rounds his way. Everything began to move in slow motion as I watched Lilly fall to the floor. Pierre must have let her go. Looking straight at me, he lifted his gun and pointed it my direction. It was only then that I heard another shot, which landed directly between his eyes. Looking over to my left, I saw Ryan standing just inside the patio door with his rifle still aimed at Pierre.
Pushing up to my feet, I ran to where Lilly's body lay motionless. Making sure she wasn't hit during the gun fire, I pulled her close to me. Feeling her breath on my face, I yelled over to Hawk, and demanded uncontrollably, "Get these fucking handcuffs off her."
Hawk was at my side in seconds, working the cuffs off her hands. The minute her hands were free, they wrapped tightly around my neck. I heard the soft sound of her voice. "I knew you would come for me."
~****~
I spent the longest hour of my life in that God-forsaken place while the police questioned us. All I wanted to do was get Lilly home, far away from here. Hawk drove the Camaro while I sat in the back seat holding Lilly close to me. It was the most excruciating ride I had ever taken. My legs were cramped beyond belief and my shoulders ached from being jammed into the back seat of a car that my big body had no right to be in. But being with Lilly made everything better. I would withstand any discomfort as long as I knew she would be with me always.
I decided to take her to my place instead of her condo. I didn't know how she felt about it, but given the circumstances, I didn't give her a choice. Hawk pulled into my designated parking spot two and a half hours later. Lilly was resting on my lap with her head tucked in the crook of my neck. Hawk pushed the seat up and I handed her off to him while I tried to get out of the sardine can known as the back seat. Stretching my cramped legs and my sore shoulders, I looked at Hawk and asked, "Can you take her up for me? I need to work out these kinks."
"You bet," he replied as I handed him the keys to my apartment.
"Oh, and Hawk, no funny stuff. That's my girl," I said firmly.
Walking the length of the parking garage, I began thinking about everything that happened and how things could have turned out differently had I taken the shot I initially intended to take. I was so thankful that Hawk had my back. Just like now. Feeling the blood flowing again in my legs, I headed up to my apartment to check in on my girl. I needed comfort, even if it meant only holding her near.
Removing the rest of my gear, I headed to the bedroom where I knew Lilly would be. Looking down on her, her eyes were still closed. She was the most gorgeous woman I had ever seen. Pulling off my own clothing, I slipped in beside her, pulling her warm body next to mine. This is the way it should be, her next to me. Always.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Lilly
I could feel something warm pressed against my body. I only hoped it wasn’t the man I thought it was. I was afraid to open my eyes to find Pierre lying next to me instead of the man that I had fallen in love with. Opening one eye first and then the other, I looked around the room to find
that I was no longer in Pierre's house. I'd seen this room before. It belonged to Peter. Shooting to a sitting position, making sure I was fully awake, I looked over my shoulder to find Peter lying next to me, reaching across the empty area I just occupied. I had never seen anything so funny as watching Peter panic when he no longer felt my body next to his. Lying back, I took hold of his arm and snuggled it around my body as I laid my head on his chest. "Don't ever do that, Lilly. From now on, say something, anything, to let me know you haven't left. Matter-of-fact, I'll just tie you to the bed so you never leave," he said jokingly.
"You did not just say that,” I said, slapping him on the chest.
"Sorry, bad joke, but now that I'm awake..." he said, lifting the covers to have a look at his manhood. “I think...”
Before he could finish his sentence, my body was over his, straddling his taut stomach. I pushed my hips back slightly, feeling his early morning arousal. Leaning back, I reached around my back and placed my hand on his hard shaft. Trying hard to contain my laughter, I watched the cutest smile ever fill his face. I scooted my body further down his hard muscles until I was face to face with his impressive cock. As I tugged his underwear off his hips, he lifted his bottom to assist my efforts. Flinging his boxers to the floor, I began my decent down his beautiful mass. Taking my time, I slowly circled my tongue around the head while working my hand up and down the base.
