Darkest Night--A Romantic Thriller

by Tara Thomas

  But when the front office door opened, it was only Knox. Keaton lifted a hand in greeting and looked at the clock. She’d been gone for almost an hour. Maybe the talk wasn’t going well. That made more sense. It wasn’t going well and she didn’t want to tell him.

  He walked into the office he’d claimed for her. It really would look perfect painted her happy color. He should pick a color that complemented it, but it’d probably be better to wait until she got back. That way she couldn’t tease him that everything he picked out looked like a body fluid.

  He heard Knox’s voice floating down the short hallway. He’d wait and tell him about Tilly working with them when his brother got off the phone.

  Restless, he walked to the front door and looked out the windows on either side. No Tilly. Nothing. He typed out another text.

  Call me.

  He deleted it before sending. He didn’t want her to think he was controlling or trying to dictate her every move. He typed out another text.

  Getting worried. LMK you’re okay.

  There. That was much better.

  Except she didn’t call. He knew he had to do something or else he’d start pulling his hair out. He went down the hall to Knox’s office. His brother was still on the phone, but he lifted his hand and mouthed, Give me one minute.

  Keaton couldn’t wait a minute. He shook his head. Off. Now, he mouthed back.

  Knox recoiled slightly, but ended his call. “What’s wrong?” he asked. “And where’s Tilly? I thought she was going to be with you today.”

  “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. Can you give me Bea’s phone number?”

  Knox’s jaw tightened, but then relaxed. Keaton let out a deep breath. That went better than he’d thought it would. But Knox’s reply brought him to his knees.

  “I can, but it won’t do any good. Her phone was stolen the day she was attacked. Her brother told me. Talking to him is the way I can get information about her.”

  For a long moment, Keaton couldn’t move, couldn’t talk. He kept seeing himself kissing Tilly good-bye and her excitement as she drove off. Would that be the last time he kissed her? The only thing he could do was think and all he thought was, No no no no no no.

  “Keaton?”

  He realized Knox had gotten out of his chair and was standing in front of him only when he shook him slightly.

  “You’re scaring me, man,” Knox said. “What’s wrong?”

  “Tilly got a text from Bea, asking her to meet her at the house.” Keaton was going to be sick. She’d been gone for an hour and he’d done nothing. Nothing. He dug in his pocket for his car keys. “Come on. We have to go. She’s been gone for an hour.”

  “I’ll call the police on the way. We don’t know who’s meeting her there.”

  She’d been gone for an hour and hadn’t returned any text or call. Whoever she was meeting, it was probably too late. He shook himself. No, he wouldn’t allow himself to think that. He had to believe she was okay, because nothing made sense without her.

  * * *

  Tilly stepped out of the car, noticing that there wasn’t a car in the driveway. Bea must have walked. She wondered if she was waiting inside or outside, the house and grounds were so vast. Before she’d left she’d asked Bea where she’d be, but never received a response so Tilly sent another text, letting her know she’d arrived and asking again where to meet.

  Tilly frowned when she received no response to that one, either. She sighed, deciding to go look. There was no one on the front porch, so she walked around to the side of the house. There were several nooks and crannies where a couple could sit and talk, but no one was in any of them. The bulk of the gardens were found in the backyard. She looked around quickly, but found no trace of Bea.

  It made more sense for her to be waiting inside anyway. Tilly let herself in, and dropped her purse in the foyer. She peeked into the living room, but it was empty.

  She frowned. “Bea?” Nothing. Maybe she hadn’t arrived yet, but it seemed strange that Bea would ask her to meet and then Tilly be the one to wait.

  Bea definitely wasn’t in the house. Tilly sighed. If she’d known she would have to wait, she would have stayed with Keaton longer. She reached for her phone to text and ask Bea what time she expected to be at the house, but her pockets were empty. Of course they were, she’d put her phone in her purse which was in the foyer.

  She went into the hallway to get her purse, but decided to stop by the kitchen to see if Lena had seen or heard from Bea. It was strangely quiet. Usually, she could hear Lena doing something. The Benedict housekeeper loved to sing even though she couldn’t stay on key to save her life.

  Tilly was smiling just thinking about Lena, remembering both her own childhood and her newly rekindled friendship with the older woman.

  “Hey, Lena.” Tilly stepped in to the kitchen.

  And screamed.

  Lena was on the floor of the kitchen, clutching her belly, a pool of blood slowly spreading under her. At the sound of Tilly screaming, Lena’s eyes opened in fear. Tilly dropped to her knees at her side.

  “Hold on. I’m going to call for help.” Tilly glanced around the kitchen, but there was no landline in the spacious room. “My phone’s in the foyer. I’ll just be a second.”

  “Run.” It took Lena all her effort to force out the word.“She … has … gun…”

  It suddenly hit Tilly that whoever shot Lena could still be in house and a shiver of fear ran down her spine. Damn it. Why had she left her phone in foyer?

  “Run,” Lena repeated. Her eyelids fluttered closed.

  “Lena?” Tilly shook her shoulder just a bit, but the older woman’s eyes remained closed. She felt for a pulse, breathing out a sigh of relief at the faint beat under her finger. “Hang in there. I’ll be right back.”

  “I wouldn’t count on it,” said a cold and familiar voice from behind her.

  She turned slowly and came face-to-face with a 9mm, held by a grinning Elise.

  CHAPTER 17

  Tilly slowly stood, her hands raised to show they were empty. “You shot Lena?”

  “Totally unplanned, but yes.”

  “Why?”

  “Because she found the suicide note I typed for you.” Elise plucked a folded piece of paper from her pants pocket and cleared her throat. “‘Keaton, I’m sorry. I don’t know what to say other than that. I didn’t want it to come to this, but my choices caught up with me and I’m afraid there’s no other way for this to end. Before I go, I have to clear my soul. I’m the one who killed the twins and the bartender. They deserved it and I won’t apologize for it.’”

  Elise paused. Perhaps waiting for Tilly to compliment her on her flawless prose. It wasn’t happening. Tilly tightened her lips.

  Elise glared at her, while continuing to read. “‘My one regret is leaving you behind, but I am comforted knowing I never deserved you in the first place. I hope you find happiness.’”

  “He’ll never believe I wrote that.” Tilly couldn’t believe she was even capable of speech. Was she really standing in the Benedicts’ kitchen, being read a suicide note someone had written for her, all the while, one of the sweetest women she ever met was bleeding out on the floor and her childhood best friend was holding a gun to her head?

  And where was everyone? Lately, there were always a ton of people around the house; why was it so quiet today?

  Her brain hadn’t yet come to terms with the reality of the situation, she supposed. Once it did, she’d probably completely freak out. If she was still alive.

  “He’ll have no other choice but to believe it,” Elise was saying. “Now, what I need you to do is sign the note.”

  “Hell, no. If it didn’t matter, you’d go ahead and shoot me.” Tilly had no idea why she was still talking to Elise, but she must be doing something right; after all, she hadn’t been shot yet. Keep her talking. How long would Keaton wait before he got worried? If she didn’t text the way he asked, would he know something was up?

/>   “How did you get Bea’s phone?” Tilly asked.

  She didn’t think Elise would answer, but she seemed quite proud of herself when she answered, “I plucked it out of her hands when she was dumped on the porch. I figured she wouldn’t know and I thought it might come in handy one day. I was right.”

  Tilly studied the woman before her, trying to see if any part of the girl she knew from childhood was still hidden somewhere. When had she lost her humanity and what had taken it from her?

  Elise motioned with the gun. “Go over to the table. This is taking too long. Someone’s going to show up soon.”

  Tilly had never wanted Elise to be more right. Please let someone be on their way.

  But she needed to keep Elise talking. Stall. Tilly stepped toward the table to buy time.

  “Why?” Tilly asked as she slowly made her way across the kitchen. “Do you want Keaton so bad you feel you have to do this?”

  “Keaton would be mine no matter what. Killing you is just the cherry on top.” Elise flashed her pageant-perfect smile. “He’ll think you offed yourself, and I’ll be there to put the pieces back together. He’ll be so thankful, he’ll propose.”

  There was no convincing her otherwise. Her twisted mind had somehow warped her brain into believing her lie.

  “As to why,” Elise continued. “Money. I need it. Lots of it.”

  “But you’re wealthy.”

  “No,” Elise nearly shouted, showing anger for the first time since she’d lifted the gun to Tilly. “My family is wealthy. Namely, my father. But the bastard has cut me off. Said I needed to grow up and take some responsibility. Apparently, he wasn’t impressed with the hacking I did to get into the university’s system to change a few grades. He said I needed to explore my true potential. I’m not sure this is what he means, but it’s what I’m doing. Getting you out of the way, so I can marry Keaton and have all this.”

  The puzzle pieces slowly started to fall into place. “Were you the one who trashed my apartment? And slashed Keaton’s tires?” Tilly had to keep her talking. She glanced at the clock. She’d left Keaton about an hour ago. Surely, he was on his way. Surely, he knew by now something was off.

  Elise looked confused for the first time. “No.”

  They’d both made it to the table and Tilly couldn’t shake the feeling that her time was up. Worse, there didn’t seem to be anyone on the way to save her. If she was going to make it out of the kitchen alive, it appeared as if she was going to have to save herself.

  Elise shoved the pen at her. “Sign it. Now.”

  What should she do? If she signed, would Elise shoot her the second she finished? If she stalled any longer, would Elise shoot her anyway?

  Tilly’s gaze drifted back to Lena. If she focused enough, she thought she could make out the slow rise and fall of her chest. In a split second, she’d made her mind up.

  “Call an ambulance for Lena,” Tilly said. “I’ll sign anything you want, but don’t let her die.”

  “I can’t do that.”

  “Why?”

  “She saw me. She can’t live. In fact…” Elise turned and pointed the gun at Lena.

  Tilly knew she only had seconds to make a move. She took a step toward Elise when the world exploded around her.

  * * *

  Jade finished emptying her stomach in the tiny bathroom and splashed cold water on her face. Slowly, she looked up and into the mirror. What kind of a monster was she?

  What kind of a monster had he turned her into?

  Through the years, she’d dreamed about running. Of getting away from The Gentleman. Today was the first day she actually gave it serious thought. If she was going to do it, she had to make a move quickly while he was otherwise occupied.

  Since he’d had to do away with the twins he’d used to satisfy his carnal needs, he’d been without sexual release for weeks. He had finally called a new club to request female companionship. The blonde had arrived to his office shortly after Tom had been released from his bonds and carried out.

  Because it had been so long since he’d called for a woman, Jade hoped he’d stay locked inside for longer than normal. She ran through the list of what she had and could easily fit in a backpack, knowing she wouldn’t be able to take everything she wanted. That was okay, though; as long as she got away, she’d be fine.

  She took a deep breath even as excitement built inside her. Clothes, she needed clothes, but not too many. Maybe three outfits? She shoved them in the backpack along with underwear.

  She looked over her weapons, knowing she had to be careful with her selection. The guns weren’t registered in her name. While that might be a good thing since they couldn’t be traced to her, it was too cumbersome to travel with a gun these days. Knives, however … She was better with a knife anyway. She picked her three favorites, strapped two on her, and packed the remaining two.

  On her way out, she hesitated, stopping by the kitchen. If she was able to grab some protein bars, she wouldn’t have to worry about food anytime soon. But a quick glance at the clock told her she was pushing it. Her assumption was confirmed seconds later at the sound of a groan coming from behind a closed door down the hall.

  There was no one between her and the front door. She very nearly skipped to it and opened it for what felt like the first time, stepping into the light of her new beginning.

  With every step she took away from the dark house that had been both her shelter and her jail, she felt lighter. It wouldn’t last; eyes would be everywhere once he realized she was gone. She should move far, far away.

  A bus passed her, filled with tourists. That was it, a bus. Cheap, yet effective. There was just one thing she had to do before leaving this city for good. Someone had to warn the Benedicts.

  * * *

  Keaton drove as fast as he could without being so reckless as to attract attention. Knox sat in the passenger seat, his hand anchored on the dash. He wouldn’t say anything, though. He was perhaps the only person who understood exactly what Keaton was feeling.

  Inwardly, Keaton cursed himself. How could he not know that Bea’s phone had been removed from the scene? How could he have let Tilly go so easily after what had happened to her apartment and the girls who worked at the club? Hell, Bea had told them Tilly was next and he’d let her drive off unprotected. Damn it, if he wasn’t the biggest idiot whoever walked the planet, he didn’t know who was.

  “Stop it,” Knox said.

  “What?”

  “Beating yourself up over this.” Knox moved his hand off the dash and settled back into the seat. “Don’t even try to deny it. No matter what you think, this wasn’t your fault.”

  Keaton scowled. “It is my fault, though. I just let her go off like it was nothing. I didn’t even think.”

  “First of all, I know Tilly, and if you’d had told her she couldn’t go, she probably would have told you to go to hell and then gone off anyway.”

  Keaton couldn’t help the chuckle. “Yeah, you’re probably right.”

  “I know I am.” Growing serious, Knox asked, “Who do you think it is?”

  “I keep asking myself that question and, honestly, I don’t know.” But in his gut, he had a sinking suspicion he knew exactly who it is. Her voice taunted him over and over. Don’t say you weren’t warned.

  He’d always thought she meant to harm him, not Tilly.

  “You’re doing it again,” Knox said.

  Keaton didn’t see any reason to deny it and they drove the rest of the way to the house in silence.

  They pulled up to the house. Everything was quiet as they got out of the car, which made no sense. Typically, it would be quiet with all of them at work and Tilly in class. But today, even the air seemed eerily still. Waiting.

  “Didn’t you call the police?” Keaton asked.

  “Yes, and I don’t know why they aren’t here yet.”

  He and Knox decided to walk around the house and look inside windows in order to try and see what was going on. Neither o
ne of them wanted to say it, but Tilly might not even be at the house anymore. They split up and Keaton took the path that went through the garden, jogging, wanting to get to a back entrance so that he could burst into the house and hopefully have the element of surprise.

  He turned a corner and froze.

  “Who the hell are you?” He all but spat at the young woman standing in the very spot he was headed for. “What have you done to her? Where is she?”

  But as he drew closer, he realized he knew her. The young girl from the shelter, except she wasn’t dressed casually in jeans today. “You! What are you doing here?”

  He had to hand it to her. She didn’t cower away from him. Instead, she seemed almost miffed that he was there at all.

  “Shhh.” She pointed at the window. “Your girl is holding her own fairly well, but that crazy-ass blonde will probably shoot her if they hear us.”

  Tilly?

  He tapped the girl on the shoulder and she stepped out of the way, allowing him to peek into the kitchen. His relief at seeing Tilly alive lasted only a second because standing across the room, holding a gun, was Elise. He lifted his hand to knock on the glass, but the stranger grabbed his wrist.

  “Are you an idiot?” she whispered angrily. “Or do you want her dead?”

  “It’s Elise,” he said, wondering why he was arguing with her. “She probably doesn’t even know how to use a gun.” He had to tell himself that or else he’d be ripping the window apart with his bare hands.

  “Tell that to the lady on the floor.”

  He looked to where she pointed and choked back a sob at seeing Lena’s bloody body on the floor. His eyes flew back to Tilly. “We have to get Tilly out of there.”

  The girl looked uncertain for the first time. “You just can’t go charging in there. That blonde has all the power right now. You need a plan.”

  He ran his hand through his hair. He didn’t have time for a plan. Elise had already shot Lena. He’d never forgive himself if anything happened to Tilly.

  “The plan is, I get inside the house and get her attention off Tilly.”