The One Adored (The One Trilogy Book 3)

by North, Alexandra

  “Why, where do you live?”

  “Here, in Manchester.”

  “Where you can be yourself. I get it.”

  “I had to move here, from Holdgate, when my ex moved into the area.”

  “He lives locally?” My look of horror says it all.

  “Hmmm mmm. I’d just moved in with my mum and we were building the business nicely when I’d popped into town to do some shopping one afternoon. I was collecting dry cleaning, when I saw him entering the bank.”

  “Did he see you? Dawn you must keep safe.”

  “No he didn’t but I moved to Manchester the next night. I’ve done my plain Jane fancy dress routine for events I attend in the area, just in case ever since. I’m really sorry about the other night.”

  “It’s fine I get it, but what was with the cryptic messages to Lu, I still don’t understand that part?”

  She bites her lip. “My ex is determined and he has a particular type of woman. He likes attractive, headstrong women. Women with sass.”

  “Women like Lucia?” That chill creeps over me again.

  “Yes. She has sass in abundance and its the chase he loves, once he has them he likes to break them.”

  “But why would he be interested in Lu when she wouldn’t return his attentions?”

  “For goodness sake Sebastian, haven’t you got it yet? She’s yours!”

  Holy fuck! The message in Paris, flashes before my eyes.

  Dawn continues but I’m busy thinking ahead. “My ex is on a one man mission to make your life a living hell and if he can’t destroy you, he’ll destroy the one thing you love. He’s already caused the accident. Now you’ve lost two babies.” Her voice falters, eyes drifting to mine in empathy and I nod inhaling deeply. “I had to warn Lucia somehow, without bringing unnecessary attention to myself. The bank I saw him at is right near where Lucia works.”

  A knock at the door, interrupts us and I rub her shoulder before answering. It was the night manager with a delivery.

  “Mr. Silver this was to be delivered to your room but as you are in here, I felt it best to leave with you now.”

  I thank him and close the door. In my hands is a black box with a purple ribbon. I slip the lid off and my heart begins to pound as I absorb the bad connotations of the deep black rose cushioned on the silver tissue paper. The hairs on the back of my neck stand to attention, time stands still as I comprehend this message.Throwing it on the desk for Dawn to peer inside I rip open the notecard. The heavily scripted font has four words on it, two of them have larger capitals at the front of them and are the letters ‘L’ and ‘P’

  “What does it say?” Dawn asks.

  I flick it down on the table in front of her and immediately send Nathan and Gino a group text. I needed them here - now!

  Planting both palms on the desk I begin to talk rapidly. “We figured out the notecards he sent with the roses…”

  “Roses were always his thing. He used to send me red ones.”

  “Your ex?”

  “Yes.”

  “No change there then - hardly original. The first letter of each message spelt a new message. It was pretty creepy. I’M WATCHING YOU.”

  “He’s developed his technique - was never that inventive with me. How many roses did he send in total?

  “11”

  “So this would be the 12th?”

  “Yeah, I suppose so. A dozen.” I rub my jaw and lock eyes with her, weighing up all options. Lu was 40 minutes away by car. I had to take this rose as a warning. Every bone in my body was telling me that this bastard was taunting me with a god damned flower. Thank goodness I’d been here to accept it now and not drinking myself into oblivion in the club or I probably wouldn’t have seen it until the next morning.

  He was making his move on my woman, tonight.

  I was away and whilst I was away, he’d made it clear, ‘Let’s Play’. I grit my teeth and flinch as I feel Dawn’s hand on my arm.

  “You need to go to her Sebastian. His downfall was always that he couldn’t help bragging. The rose is a step too far - he wanted to brag to you about him winning, but in actual fact he’s indadvertedly given you a chance to save her. Go!”

  At that moment Na and Gino walk through the door, and I fly into operation navy seal mode. A quick low-down of the situation to flabbergasted faces and we are good to go. A helicopter will be landing on the top of the hotel in the next ten minutes. It would be quicker than us going by car. Both the men will come with me.

  “You Ok, bro - this is one hell of a stag do?” Na slaps his arm on my back.

  “I’ll be fine when I get this bastard behind bars and Lu in my arms.”

  Gino disappears and arranges for Dawn to be delivered back to her home safely in the confines of our limo. “Will you be Ok, Dawn? I feel bad leaving you once again but I need to go.”

  “It’s fine Sebastian. Go get the prick and keep Lu safe.”

  “Thank you and I will be in touch, I promise.” I kiss her gently on the cheek.

  “Oh, but Sebastian, won’t you need his name?”

  We all turn at this, the last hour had passed and not once had we ever discussed his name. How could I be so stupid?

  “When I was married to him he was called Leonard Peters but he may have changed it by now? I hope it helps.”

  I glance at the note card held firmly between my finger, the italic capitals bold and black jumping out at me ‘L’ and ‘P. Leonard Peters - rubbing it in my face.

  “Surely that’s not…” Na interjects.

  “I think it is.” Gino agrees.

  “Leo fucking Peterson. I’ll fucking kill him.” I snarl as we head out the door.

  “Seb?”

  “I don’t know if it helps but the last I heard he had a girlfriend. Terri, Tobi, something manly like that?”

  This just got more of a nightmare. “Toni?” I question weakly, already knowing the answer.

  “Yes, that was it. One of my friends kept dibs on Leonard’s whereabouts and told me all about them. It made me happy to know that if he was with someone else he was less likely to look for me but I’m not sure if they are together now? It’s been a while since I last had an update - probably about 5 months?”

  I nod, at her. “Ok, thanks, Dawn. We all know of Toni and what you’ve said is making a lot of other things else click into place.”

  “Good luck.”

  *******

  The rowdiness begins to subside with each step, as I ascend the staircase towards the rear of the inn and on a smile I head for my room. Abs and Suze had done me proud. I had had a fabulous night with fabulous friends - nothing pretentious, nothing too tacky. Everything I could have wanted. We’d enjoyed good food, girly pampering at The Ashton in the day with Colin and James and the girls, before arriving late afternoon at The Gilded Fox. I’d later received just what I’d asked for - a night of great company, with lovely friends, copious amounts of champagne cocktails and a dishy welder for a stripper, in honour of Sebastian, thrown for good measure at the end of the night - not that he was a patch on my own sexy contractor. I’d even enjoyed wearing the obligatory sash and tiara branded with Mrs. Silver - it had been fun.

  I inhale deeply at the thought of Sebastian stripped naked and waiting for me in my hotel bed, wearing nothing but his tool belt and lick my lips and pout. Why isn’t he here?

  Because he’s probably receiving his very own sexy one-on-one private dance from some slutty mare in Manchester, if Chris had anything to do with it.

  The thought makes my stomach flip-flop and teeth clench together. My narrowing and extremely jealous green eyes are beginning to blur. I unlock the bedroom door and push my way through, slightly unsteady upon entry and throw my handbag in the direction of the bed. I need to get into bed and sleep off the booze, forget what my man is doing on his last night of freedom, and take a chill pill – I trust him after all. Never mind that you miss him like crazy and need him rig
ht this second.

  I head into the bathroom to spend a penny, before returning to the bedroom and am about to remove my shoes, when I see the dozen red roses and petals scattered across the cover and pillows. Leaning towards them I see the message and my heart literally stops. Gingerly I lift the cream card from Fresh Water Couture and scan the words, boldly scripted in black, before dropping it just as quickly, as if I’ve been scalded!

  A dozen roses? This was the final message, wasn’t it? The one we’d feared would come.

  I pivot on one heel in the darkness, knowing that with this message I am not alone. In that split second, the reasonable voice in my head makes me pray that I’m over thinking this and that these are from Seb, but I know they are not. He didn’t send me roses.

  It is then that I see him. A secluded figure dressed in the same fancy dress outfit as the stripper had been only moments earlier, with a welder’s mask covering his identity, and casually sitting in the corner of the room, in the dark, just watching me in silence. His elbow rests on the arm of the chair, fingers splayed across his face - the other hand is at his side tapping, one… two… three…

  I feel the chills shoot up my spine and swallow deeply. My mouth dries as I say the words in hope. “Seb?”

  Silence.

  It doesn’t look like Sebastian’s body. He is much taller, broader, and those hands - shit, I know it isn’t Seb. I frantically assess the situation – how the fuck am I going to get out of here? The sense of dread is thick, cloaking me and I know without a doubt, that this is the man who has been tormenting me, stalking me, and watching me, just as he is doing, right now. My feet are leaden and body is immediately drenched with a fine layer of icy perspiration.

  “Who are you?” My voice wobbles.

  Finally he speaks, talking slowly through the mask. “Shut up. Take your shoes off and walk towards me, then sit on the edge of the bed. Do as I say and do not scream or I will make this very unpleasant for you and for your friends, downstairs.”

  Oh shit. My heart begins to thump faster.

  I go into complete survival mode, sobering up in a nanosecond. My phone, where the fuck is my phone? It’s in my handbag on the bed – crap! If I can just reach backwards enough - yes, I’ll try that in a moment. For now, do as you’re told, then no-one will get hurt…

  I slowly remove each shoe, placing them near the television, before being ordered to pick them up and drop them in front of the voice in the darkness. As I near, the light from the gap in the curtains spills through glinting on something clutched tightly within his hand. Jesus, no! The knife is around seven inches long and brutal looking, light reflecting back off it menacingly. I step closer.

  “Pretty isn’t it? Not necessary however, if you do as you are told. But I will use it if I have to, do not doubt me, Lucia.”

  Oh. My. God.

  I shuffle backwards and my calves hit the mattress, knocking me off balance and encouraging me to take a seat. I fling my hands out behind me to support me and hit something hard and scratchy; my sequined clutch. I immediately drag it underneath my bottom and out of his sight and one-handed flips the magnetic press-stud open and I slip my hand inside, locating my iPhone with a quick fumble. It rests cool under my thigh, nestled in my left hand.

  “That’s a good girl, Lucia. Now let me put some music on and I’m going to spend a while perusing you. As you’ve probably gathered by now, I like to watch.” Fucking pervert.

  I watch as he moves to locate the radio, messing with the buttons until he locates a station he is happy with. In that time I flick my phone to silent, and wince as it promptly vibrates, but the crackling of the radio drowns out the sound and I continue to enter my code, locate Seb’s number and type with my thumb. It’s impossible and I only manage a few letters, before I see him begin to move.

  “There that’s better - much better to get you in the mood.”

  He takes his seat once again and I look away to my left, not willing to give him the satisfaction of seeing the fear in my eyes. I wait a few seconds before I attempt to press any more letters. I just hope that my memory of their location on the keypad is as good as I remember. My main priority is to tell Seb that I am in danger. The man tortures me with minute after agonising minute of silence as he studies me. All I can hear is his heavy breathing through the large Perspex screen that hides his face from me and distorts his voice. Who the hell is this psychopath?

  I’m aware that my every move is being monitored, so I keep my final moves as small as possible as I guess where the ‘send’ button is and just hope to God that my SOS has gone.

  “Now it’s time, Lucia. Are you ready?”

  “Ready for what?”

  “For the night of your life of course?”

  Bile rises in my throat and fills my mouth. Oh God no. Think Lu, think.

  “You teased me and tormented me with that hot little body of yours, but never put out for me, yet didn’t think twice about sleeping with Silver the night you went home with him, after our date!”

  After our date…. Oh my god…I know who this is – Jesus Christ, Abby had been right all along. “Leo?”

  “Oh my clever little bitch, finally she gets it. Took you long enough.” His hand reaches to remove the mask from his face and at last I can look him directly in the eyes. Something I immediately regret, the second I do. They are filled with hatred and the lascivious grin that is plastered across his face makes me tremble inwardly. Do not show your fear. Keep him talking. If he is talking he isn’t mauling.

  “It was you? You sending me all the roses, and messages all this time?”

  “Er, durr! Yes of course it was me you stupid woman. I was mightily pissed that Silver got the credit the first time but then I realised I could use the situation to my advantage and when I added the recording devices, that was pure genius.”

  I shudder at his excitement. Please someone come upstairs. Girls, surely you’re ready for bed by now?

  “Why didn’t you just say how you felt, Leo?”

  “Where would the fun be in that? I liked the fact that you didn’t know it was me. Loved it, in fact. You became my muse, my reason for getting up, in every way” His disgusting laugh, makes me shudder. He was repulsive.

  “Once I got inside your home and got cameras in there, my life did a total 180 – you totally turned it around Lu, and I thank you for that!”

  Fuck me! He’s mental!

  “But problem is, it’s time to pay up now. You’ve been flaunting it around and flirting with me for months now, getting me all hot under the collar but enough is enough. There’s only so much a man can take, only so many times I can service myself, watching you - it’s time to test the goods. You will be mine and tonight is the perfect night for it. Time to give two fingers to the tax man.”

  He licks his lips, and gesticulates using his thumb and index finger to form an ‘O before slipping another two fingers, in and out of the ‘O’ crudely whilst laughing disturbingly at his poor in-house joke. I begin to shake. How had I not seen this? He’d always given me the creeps, in fact more so of late but I hadn’t thought he was evil enough for something like this. I just thought he was a bit wet and a lot… strange.

  “Leo, I’m getting married, please don’t do this.”

  This was obviously the wrong thing to say, as his eyes narrow and his calm demeanor disappears. “This is precisely why we are going to do this and tonight. I will fuck you, on your hen night, so that Silver will remember that I had you before your wedding that I was here before you were truly his wife. Then he won’t want you anymore. You and he have taken the piss out of me for long enough and it’s time he realises that I’m in charge. Now stand up!”

  Meekly I stand up, my fingers shaking before making the decision to give him the sexiest striptease of his life, slow and tantalising, anything to drag out the inevitable in the hope that Seb receives my message in time.

  “Now remove your top, slowly.”

&nbs
p; I close my eyes to stop the sting of impending tears. Be brave girl; keep him interested until you can help.

  I begin to remove my camisole as slowly as possible, to suit both our needs, swallowing the bile that forms in my throat. “It was you wasn’t it that ran me off the road Leo? That caused my injuries?”

  “That was a necessity. It had to be done. I couldn’t have you carrying that bastard’s bastard!”

  “You knew I was pregnant?”

  “Of course I did you stupid bitch? Is it not going in? I heard your conversations – all of them. I knew before Sebastian did, that you were expecting which was the only thing that pleased me in that whole nightmare – that I could control the situation and he had none whatsoever.”

  This just got worse by the second.

  My eyes fill with tears for mine, and Seb’s loss. My hand drops to my stomach, protection for the child who could have been, the love that is still there for its memory. I can feel my anger begin to boil and my fear for this evil individual begin to dissipate, despite the knife still flashing at his wrist.

  “And Meg? Does she know about all this?”

  “No. She’s far too dim-witted to realise that I’ve been stringing her along to stay close to you. She become useless once you moved in with Silver anyhow. It was never going to work out with her.”

  I continue determined to keep him talking. “Why me?”

  “You are my type.”

  “There’ve been others?”

  “Many… but, you are by far the best. I have never wanted any of them, as much as I craved you. You will be the one.”

  “The one?”

  “The one who will finally give me what I desire. The one I’ve been searching for.”

  Wtf? “And what… what is that Leo? What is ‘THE ONE’?” I shudder, not really wanting to know the answer from this sick and twisted individual, all kinds of thoughts running through my mind.