Something Moore (Forever Moore Book 1)

by Hunter J. Keane

  He put his hand to his heart again. “It’s not you I’m worried about. I barely functioned this last week without you by my side.”

  “I seriously doubt that,” I said with a laugh. “We should go in. Everyone is waiting for you.”

  “Stay close,” he joked as we stepped inside the massive ballroom.

  Scott found us in the crowd and waved for us to follow him to the front of the room. A band played quiet jazz music on stage while the guests mingled and drank cocktails. Scott waved a hand to signal to the pianist.

  “You look hot tonight, Banks,” Scott said. “Ravishing, even.”

  “Scott.” William fixed him with a warning glare. “Leave my girlfriend alone.”

  My heart fluttered hearing William refer to me as his girlfriend. It was the first time I’d heard him say that word out loud.

  “Girlfriend?” Scott grinned smugly. “I knew this one was special.”

  The band finished their last chords with a flourish and William turned to me, ignoring Scott.

  “Wait here. Be right back.” He kissed my cheek and his hand slid a few inches lower on my back before slipping away. The roar of the crowd faded to a murmur as William and Scott stepped onto the stage.

  “Thank you, everyone, for coming tonight. Scott and I would like to say a few words and then we’ll let you get back to your drinks and an amazing evening.” William ran through a list of people to thank and then turned the microphone over to Scott. I was surprised at the brevity of William’s speech, but it occurred to me that there might be a reason for that. It was possible that he was just as uncomfortable with large crowds as I was and that thought made me smile. I loved learning new things about William.

  Alexis had joined me toward the end of the speech which made me feel better about my own insecurities with a room full of strangers. When Scott was done speaking, the room erupted in applause and then a dozen people swarmed them as they were leaving the stage. That gave me and Alexis time to chat.

  “What did William say when you told him about the job stuff?” she asked.

  “He doesn’t know yet.” I braced myself for her inevitable scolding.

  “Riley. You have to tell him.” She gave me a stern look.

  “He just got back from New York and we were running late for this event.” I knew that it sounded like I was making excuses, but I really had thought about telling William. I just didn’t want to ruin the night. “I’m just waiting for the right time to tell him. Tonight is not the right time.”

  Alexis’ eyes widened. “You might not get to make that decision anymore.”

  “Ladies.” William’s voice was so close it made me flinch. He had certainly overheard at least part of our conversation. “Sorry to interrupt.”

  “It’s probably good that you did,” Alexis said. “Nice speech, William.”

  “Thanks. Listen, would you mind giving us a minute?” William took my elbow.

  Alexis was already backing away, headed in Scott’s direction. “I’ll catch up with you later, Riles. Go easy on him.”

  “I’m sure you know we’re going to have to talk about whatever you’ve been not telling me,” William said as he spun me around to face him.

  “It’s nothing. Alexis is just being dramatic.” I pretended to be busy scanning the room so I wouldn’t have to look him in the eye.

  “You’re a terrible liar. Out with it.”

  I detected just a tinge of doubt on his words and realized that he might be assuming things much worse than the truth. I had to tell him, but I needed some liquid courage first. After downing half a glass of champagne, I said, “Something happened while you were gone.”

  His body tensed even more. “Okay…”

  “I was fired.” I finished the champagne and set the glass on the edge of the stage.

  “Fired? How? Why?” William sounded both confused and relieved.

  “Georgia was suspicious after she saw us together. I guess she did some research online and found pictures of me at your company’s party. They were right there, on social media.” Saying it out loud, I finally started to accept that it was real. I had been fired because of my relationship with William. “She showed it to Briggs and you can imagine his response.”

  “He fired you for coming to a party of mine?” William sounded annoyed.

  “He fired me because when he confronted me about our relationship, I told the truth. Sleeping with clients is against the rules. I’m out.” I shrugged as if it didn’t matter. “Six years of work down the drain, just like that.”

  William’s annoyance faded and he grimaced as he said, “I’m so sorry, Riley. This is my fault. You warned me what would happen and I wasn’t careful enough.”

  “It’s not your fault. Briggs has been looking for a reason to get rid of me.” I finally made eye contact with him. “I’m not saying I’m happy about what happened, but I don’t regret it. I don’t regret us.”

  “Good. I’m sure you’ll find something else right away. A woman as smart as you has got to be in high demand.” William was rambling and I almost smiled, but then he kept going. “If you need any help in the meantime, any money or whatever, I can help you out.”

  I tensed at the mention of money. I wasn’t dating William because I wanted a sugar daddy. “I don’t need your money, Will. I might not be the CEO of a company, but I’ve done alright for myself.”

  “Of course. I’m sorry.” He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I don’t know what a man is supposed to say to his girlfriend when she gets fired because of him.”

  “Nothing. You don’t have to say anything.” As much as I loved William, I really needed a few minutes to myself. “I need to use the ladies’ room. I promise, I’m not running out on you.”

  “I wouldn’t blame you if you did,” He muttered, sounding adorably pathetic. I didn’t want him to feel bad, so I gave him a long, slow kiss before walking away.

  The bathrooms were down a long hallway along the side of the hotel. I noticed a door across from them that led to the alley and thought about going outside for some fresh air. My hand was on the door when a voice behind me made me freeze.

  “Riley.”

  I would recognize that voice anywhere. Michael.

  “What are you doing here?” I asked as I turned to face him.

  He looked the same as he had outside of William’s office building. He looked like the Michael I remembered from my past, just older. But he also looked like a stranger.

  “I had to see you,” he said, taking a hurried step forward.

  I instinctively took a step backward until my back was pushing against the door. I felt slightly better knowing that I had easy access to an exit.

  “I don’t want to see you or speak to you, Michael.” My heart was racing. “Leave me alone.”

  “What happened to our parents wasn’t my fault,” Michael said as if I hadn’t spoken. “I didn’t mean to do it.”

  “You killed them, Michael. I don’t care what the court said, you aren’t just disturbed. You’re a murderer.” It wasn’t something I should have said if I believed those words, which I did, but I was so shaken that I wasn’t thinking clearly. Especially since we were in a secluded part of the hotel.

  Michael moved quicker than I expected. He slammed me hard against the door and my head spun as he reached past me and turned the door knob. I tried to resist, but he managed to pull me out the door and into the alley. He shoved something hard and metal into my side and I suspected it was a gun.

  “Don’t fight,” he hissed into my ear.

  “Why are you doing this?” I said, desperately trying to stay calm.

  Michael pushed me down the alley, further away from the front of the hotel. With dumpsters on either side, no one would see us. At the end of the alley, Michael stopped abruptly and whirled me around to face him.

  “You think I’m an evil monster. I’m your blood, Riley. We’re family.” He was fully enraged as he spoke, his eyes wild and unfocused. My eye
s were focused on the gun in his hand. “You know what it was like growing up with them. Mom was so emotional and over-involved in our lives and Dad never cut me a break. He wouldn’t accept anything less than perfection. I could never make either of them happy.”

  “You are deluded,” I spat angrily. Our parents hadn’t been perfect, but they had been good people that loved us and did the best they could. “They loved you. Even when you were on drugs and left home, they always wanted you to come back so we could be a family again. You were the one that ruined everything.”

  “You never did have to put up with as much of their crap as I did. They sheltered you.” He was growing angrier by the minute. “You never came to visit me once. Or even wrote a letter.”

  My own anger continued to build. “That’s because I want nothing to do with you. Take a hint.”

  “Damnit, Riley!” He swung his arm angrily through the air and the barrel of the gun connected with the side of my face, making a sickening crack as it connected with my cheekbone. The pain was instantaneous and overwhelming. My vision blurred and I felt something wet run down my cheek.

  “Why are you making me hurt you?” he yelled.

  “I’m not making you do anything,” I said, putting a hand to my cheek and feeling blood ooze between my fingers.

  Michael’s face changed from hatred to a complete lack of feeling. The abrupt change only further proved my theory that he was a sociopath. My blood ran cold as he said, “You know, you were supposed to be home that day. That was part of the plan.”

  It was the answer to a question I’d had for years, but had never been able to ask. Now I knew for sure. Michael hadn't just planned to kill my parents that day, he had also planned to kill me.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  William

  I held Riley’s phone in my hand and stared at it as if it would suddenly give me the answer to the question of what had happened to Riley.

  “Moore. What the hell are you doing standing in the hall?” Scott stopped on his way to the bathroom.

  “Something’s happened to Riley.” I snapped out of my daze. “Go find Parker. Tell him it’s urgent.”

  “Parker?” Scott froze. “What happened to Riley, Will?”

  I pushed open the door to the alley. “Just find him. Now.”

  Matt Parker was our friend from college. He was also my connection inside the Chicago Police Department. If Riley’s brother was involved, I was going to need back-up.

  The alley appeared to be empty, but large dumpsters lined both sides. I crept slowly past each one in case Michael was lying in wait. When I reached the end of the alley, I turned back to the hotel feeling defeated.

  “Shit,” I yelled while kicking a dumpster. Why had I let Riley go off on her own after I had read that note? It was clear that he intended to come after her. I should have insisted on staying with her. As I was shaking off the searing pain shooting up my leg, I notice a metal door on the building across from the hotel. It was shut, but the pile of trash in front of it appeared to have been swept aside by someone opening the door.

  Michael might be evil, but he wasn’t exactly bright. His abduction of his sister had likely been poorly planned, a crime of opportunity rather than genius. Pulling her into the abandoned building next door seemed like the exact next step of an irrational ex-convict.

  Logic told me that it would be better to wait for Parker. He would know how to find Michael in the least risky way. But I wasn’t thinking about my own safety, I was thinking about Riley. Part of me had hoped that she was wrong about Michael, that maybe his mental issues had been fixed while he was locked away. Now, I knew how stupid I had been. I should have trusted Riley.

  The metal door screeched loudly as I pushed it open. There would be no element of surprise. I didn’t bother trying to walk quietly into the building. From what I could tell, it was the warehouse at the back of an office building and since it was a Friday night, it was empty.

  I could hear muffled voices coming from the far corner of the room. The anger in one of the voices should have given me pause but instead, it only made me hurry faster. When I rounded a stack of old light fixtures, I pulled up abruptly. Michael had Riley backed into a corner and the right side of her face was bloody and swollen. My chest tightened painfully and my hands clenched into fists.

  Riley didn’t notice me, likely because she was busy watching Michael’s frantic gun-waving, but also because one of her eyes was nearly swollen shut. While I wanted her to know that she wasn’t alone anymore, I was also glad that she hadn’t given away my presence. I might be able to take Michael by surprise after all.

  “You have no idea what the last twelve years have been like for me,” Michael was saying as he waved his arms.

  “Yeah, cause my life has been so carefree and happy,” Riley snapped back. “You never did care about anyone but yourself.”

  I loved Riley for being so brave despite the circumstances, but I worried that she might be pushing Michael too far. It didn’t help that he was waving the gun in her direction.

  “You looked pretty happy tonight with your boyfriend.” Michael’s contempt for me was obvious. “Did you know that he reached out to me? That he threatened me?”

  I crept forward slowly, shuffling one foot after the other.

  “He told me that he asked you to leave me alone.” Riley swiped a hand over her cheek, futilely attempting to wipe away the blood. “I think we can both agree that didn’t work.”

  My next step connected with a metal rod that I didn’t see until it was too late. It clanked loudly against the concrete floor. Michael whirled in my direction and Riley gasped.

  “Will.” The relief in her voice was palpable.

  “I should’ve known you would show up. You can’t seem to butt the fuck out of what is clearly none of your business.” Michael now swung the gun in my direction.

  “Riley’s safety is completely my business,” I said, trying to keep my tone even. With a gun pointed at me, I felt incredibly vulnerable. I wasn’t sure how Riley had managed to sound so tough in the same circumstance. “The police will be here soon. You aren’t going to walk away from this, Michael.”

  “You really think I care about that?” he said with coldness in his eyes.

  That was when I realized that this had always been his plan. He had come to finish what he had started years earlier. Once Riley was dead, he would either kill himself or let the police shoot him. His twisted mind had already accepted his fate.

  “I don’t think you care about anything, or anyone.” If I could keep his focus on me, maybe he would forget about Riley long enough for Parker to arrive.

  “It’s easy for you to hate me, isn’t it? I’m not a very sympathetic character.” Michael dropped the gun to his side.

  “I don’t hate you. I don’t even know you. But I do feel sorry for you.” I glanced quickly at Riley and saw that she was edging along the wall toward another pipe that lay on the ground. With my eyes, I tried to tell her to stop.

  Michael laughed humorlessly. “You feel sorry for me?”

  “To live a life like you have, without love and human connection…” I shook my head slowly. “That’s the definition of a tragedy.”

  “Isn’t it more tragic that you are about to die for a girl you barely even know?” Michael said with a cocky smile. “Just like Romeo and Juliet.”

  “I’d rather die for love than hatred,” I said, wincing as Riley bent down to pick up the pipe. If she made any noise at all, Michael would whirl around and shoot her before I would be able to stop him. “No one is even going to remember you when you’re gone.”

  Michael’s eyes narrowed. “Are you kidding me? Everyone will be talking about the double homicide that took the life of one of the richest guys in Chicago. The media won’t be able to talk about anything else for at least a week.”

  “I think you’re overestimating my importance in this town.” I noticed that Michael’s finger was on the trigger now. “And you’re certain
ly overestimating your own importance. You’ll simply be known as the mentally-ill criminal who took the lives of two people years after killing his own parents.”

  “I’ll guess there’s only one way to find out how this will play out.” Michael raised the gun and pointed it right at my chest. My breath caught in my throat as his eyes locked onto mine. This was it.

  Just before he pulled back on the trigger, I heard a loud clang come from directly behind him. Michael started to spin around, but something connected with the side of his head and he fell to the ground. The gun landed on the ground a foot away from his prone body. Riley stood over him, holding the metal pipe and breathing hard.

  “Riley.” I held out my hand to her.

  She looked at me blankly, as if in shock. “Will?”

  “Come here.” I kept my eyes on Michael as I searched for any sign of movement. A small gash on the side of his head was bleeding profusely, but not so much as a finger twitched. I repeated, “Come here, love. It’s okay.”

  Riley threw the pipe to the ground and lunged forward. I caught her in my arms and pulled her close. “You’re okay,” I said, stroking her hair. “I’ve got you.”

  “He was going to shoot you,” she murmured with her head pressed against my chest. “He was going to kill both of us.”

  “I know.” I hated how much pain I heard in her voice. “You saved us, Riley.”

  “My face.” She pulled back and put a hand over her damaged cheek. “How bad is it?”

  I took her chin lightly in my hand and studied the wound. The cut was deep, but only about an inch long. “You’ll need a couple of stitches, but you’ll be just fine. We need to get you some ice for the swelling.”

  “Your event!” She dug her fingers into my arm. “You need to get back in there.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous.” I kissed her good cheek. “This is where I need to be.”

  She started to protest further, but we both heard a loud shuffling at the same time. I pushed Riley behind me as Michael got to his feet, gun in hand. It had been incredibly stupid to leave the gun so close to him.