by Axl Goode
“Well if I’m no smarter than everyone else then why aren’t you investing your own money?” Brenley thought it was probably not the wisest thing to goad a person holding a gun to your head but she had spoken without thinking.
A tone of pure hatred rose through Jennifer’s lips. “I’m not doing it because I don’t want to. I’m more useful where I am. What do you know? I, along with my husband, have taken over this city. We are the rulers behind the scenes. You may not know it because I sit in a bank everyday smiling pleasantly, making sure everything goes my way, but I am in control. You think you’re so smart but if you were, you would’ve known when I hacked into your computer to read through your emails. You’re nothing. Just a pawn in a masterful game of chess.”
Seeing Jennifer’s finger tighten on the trigger, Brenley stalled more. “Oh, yeah? That’s funny because I took a peek inside your computer too.”
“You’re lying.”
“I’ve read your entire journal. Plus how you’ve controlled Frederickson and how he has so ambitiously taken up the cause. I’ve even read how frustrated you were at not being able to locate Zane and me. You’re not the only one who knows how to do things,” she led on, hoping it would buy her more time.
“Who else knows this?” Jennifer’s tone was cold as ice.
“Everyone.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, you’re going down. There is nothing you can do to stop it.”
“Get up. Out of bed now.” Jennifer’s voice betrayed her demeanor of calm confidence. She was worried.
Getting out of bed, Brenley walked at gunpoint to the living room downstairs. Zane was down there already, seated in a chair looking confident. How did he manage to always look smug when things were going so badly? Taking a seat beside him, she wished she could be in his arms and he could make it all disappear.
With Jay, Jennifer and Victoria all pointing weapons at them, Jennifer started asking questions with pure malice in her voice.
“What do you know about my operations?”
“Everything,” Zane responded. He rolled his eyes as if it were obvious.
He’s going to get us killed.
“Explain what you know.”
“I know everything from how you’re blackmailing Frederickson to kidnapping Cormack’s daughter. I’m taking a guess here that Victoria here is actually Laura from your story. Quite the fascinating experience you must have shared when you were roommates in university.”
Each of their faces paled a shade. They were clearly shocked that Zane had such intimate knowledge of their inner workings.
“It doesn’t matter. We’re going to end this right now so no one else will ever know,” Jennifer said in a smug tone.
Brenley couldn’t help herself. “Oh, I don’t think so. Do you have the time?”
“I don’t think you know what you’re talking about. But it’s 3:56 a.m. and it’s also your time of death.” Laura stepped in.
“That’s interesting because as of nearly three hours ago a special issue of Replete Magazine started distributing all around the country. That means it’s already hit printers across the nation and has already begun distribution to merchants. You can kill us but that’s not going to set you free,” Brenley delivered in her most dignified voice. If she was going to perish tonight, she wanted to go out with pride and dignity.
Suddenly, the windows burst in and canisters careened across the tile floor. Their assailants ducked, looking around for something to shoot at. Everyone started coughing profusely, unable to breathe. A moment later, men in black armor busted through the windows and doors, bearing down on them with assault rifles. With looks of surprise and terror Jay, Laura, and Jennifer all dropped their weapons.
After they had been disarmed, a burly man walked through the center of the room, looking down at Zane and Brenley. For a moment, Brenley could have sworn she was going to spend the rest of her life in prison. The man wore the most stoic look she had ever seen. That was until his lips cropped up into a slightly crooked smile.
“Zane Anthony, my man! I’m glad you’re all right. We were just waiting to get as much information as we could before we blew this joint. I hope I didn’t make you nervous.”
“Not at all, not at all. I knew you would be here, Jim. Although I’m afraid we gave Brenley here a scare.”
“I’m terribly sorry about that, ma’am,” the large man apologized. It was almost comical.
“It’s okay,” Brenley said not having any idea what was going on.
Zane looked over at her with a huge grin. “Well, when I was reading through Jennifer’s journal I started to notice certain similarities between Laura and Victoria. It got me thinking that there could be a connection. I started digging a little. Victoria is the name I know her by and she uses for acting. Laura is her real name. I had just put the two together when those trucks busted through the front gate. Rather than wait, I sent all the information to a contact I had already been emailing at the FBI. I explained my plan to come here and see if we could draw them out into the open. Apparently it worked, wouldn’t you say, Jim?”
“Like a charm. You were never in any danger. We had a sniper bead on your assailants the entire time. We have other teams rounding up the other members we’ve been able to identify from your data. I’m sure we will have more questions for you both later but as of right now you two are free to return to your homes.”
“Terrific. Thanks for your help, Jim,” Zane said shaking the man’s hand. Brenley stood, thanking the man herself before following Zane to his car. She didn’t know what to think. It was over. She didn’t have to stay with Zane anymore and neither did he have to stay with her. Even though Zane brought her here for a good reason, there was still something lurking in the shadows.
He had slept with Laura. Yes it may have been off and on but he had. Then he had brought her here, to that same woman’s house. He had flirted with her and played the playboy he was known to be. Yes, she knew he would say it was all just part of the act but it made Brenley worry. She didn’t want there to be an act. She wanted to know that she was Zane’s and no one else’s.
Brenley didn’t want to be furious at Zane but that’s how it was turning out. Climbing in the car, she was irate that at the end of their confinement he had flipped his switch back to who he was. Charismatic to a tee. That was great but with it she had seen the emotional side he opened up to her evaporate. She wanted the man who was sweet, endearing and most of all had a huge caring heart.
Zane looked over at Brenley. “Well, we did it, Bren!” He was giddy with excitement. They had truly overcome a huge obstacle in life but Brenley felt like her heart was dying, knowing that now it was over.
“Yeah! Can you just take me home, please?” she said trying to sound happy.
“Yeah, sure.”
Pulling into her parking garage, Zane parked the car and got out. Walking her to her apartment door, she opened it then stepped in. He had a confused look on his face like he wasn’t sure what to do. Should he come in or should he not? She thought she would make it easy on him. “Thanks for bringing me home. I’m really tired and need to get some sleep and think about things. Maybe I’ll see you later?”
“Yeah, okay.” Turning around he marched off down the walkway, disappearing around a corner. She hadn’t wanted to upset him but what they had been doing wasn’t going to work anymore. Brenley was already in too much pain to take more heartbreak. She had thought Zane would be the one for her, to take care of her and keep her safe. She wanted someone that would truly protect her heart.
Stepping inside she went to her bed. Hot tears poured freely from her eyes as she started crying. There was going to be no sleeping for her tonight. With a broken heart, she didn’t know how she would ever get out of bed again.
* * * * *
Zane left Brenley’s apartment feeling horribly upset. She had made her situation clear to him. Now that they didn’t have to be together, she wanted to resume her old life. Th
ere was no room in that for Zane. She had all but said so at the door. Even though he had planned on it, the rejection still surprised him. He knew he would never be good enough for her. He was too jaded and didn’t fit into her life.
He had thought for a brief period that they could work out. She could be the one for him. Living together at his lodge, they had gotten to know each other on an extremely intimate level. He had never felt the way he did toward her before. Everything she did ignited him with desire. He liked watching her sleep, even brushing her teeth. There was something so profoundly wonderful about her, he couldn’t stay away.
Once they had sex, he thought it would solidify their relationship but it hadn’t. He was still unsure of himself and she was holding back too. He could feel it. Clearly they had enjoyed the romance they shared, acting on it at least three times a day. He knew he was crazy about her and she seemed crazy about him too. He had told himself that tonight was the night. He was finally prepared to tell Brenley how he felt.
He could tell something was bothering her but didn’t know what. They had succeeded in their mission. He was contemplating how he should start telling her about his feelings when she had said she needed to sleep and think. Obviously she wanted to be alone. He stood there for a moment feeling dumb for having almost told her how he felt. Of course she was tired of being around him and wanted her space back.
Driving home, he felt tears come to his eyes. He had been so close. He had the thing he wanted most in life, in the palm of his hand and somehow had lost it. He had met enough girls to know that he would never meet another like Brenley. He had known from the moment he saw her in the bank that he wanted her. Everything he did was for nothing now.
Zane spent the next several days masking his heartbreak as much as possible. He had been invited to do multiple interviews from TV stations, papers and magazines. He stepped back into the spotlight like he had never left. Although he did everything he was supposed to, like smiling for the camera and being charismatic, he felt empty. No amount of distraction could take his mind off Brenley and his aching heart.
He tried to mask it as best as he could. He tried flirting with all the other girls who were crazy about him but they were just empty shells. He laughed when he was supposed to and listened to them go on and on but they only reinforced his desire for Brenley. The more he was around other women the more he acknowledged how wonderful Brenley was.
* * * * *
Brenley sat at home looking at the television. She hadn’t left her apartment once. She had ordered takeout and rented every movie Zane had ever been in online. She was watching an interview he had been in earlier that day. He’d been surrounded by tons of fans and the woman who was interviewing him was flirting with him openly. Seeing him flirt back was what hurt.
That had been her man. He had been the one for her and he had slipped through her fingers. Now he was back in the spotlight, soaking up the copious attention he received. He would probably be dating another Playboy model soon or some other supermodel. She should’ve known better but it still hurt. She needed to talk to someone to get her mind off of this. She dialed the person she didn’t enjoy talking to but in instances like this always had the best advice.
“Hey, Peighton. It’s Brenley.”
“Hey! Oh my god, are you okay? We’ve been worried about you for weeks and no one has known a thing. We read the magazine article but still didn’t know where you were.”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” she said through muffled sobs. “I’m back home now.”
“What’s wrong? I can hear it in your voice.”
“Zane Anthony, that’s what wrong.”
“Why don’t you talk to me about it?”
“I don’t know where to start,” she said as she started openly crying. “Zane saved me from being kidnapped and probably murdered and we hid out at his lodge. I used to hate it so much every time he would come into our bank. He was so cocky and arrogant. Then we were stuck together and I saw a different side of him. He’s not who I thought he was at all. I don’t know. It happened slowly but I started enjoying his company and developing feelings for him. I ignored the feelings and just told myself I was only attracted to him. We had such a good time there together. It was like I had found my best friend and soul mate. It was perfect. I think I knew deep down to hold something back, that it wouldn’t end well but I still ended up falling in love with him.” Taking a moment to try to calm herself down she continued.
“It hurts so bad now. I wanted to tell him how I felt but I couldn’t. I knew it wouldn’t be safe. It hurt so badly when I found you with Warren but this is so much worse. I feel like I’m suffocating every day. I can’t do anything without it reminding me of him. I love him. I love him more than anything and I don’t know what to do.” Sobbing into the phone, she had finally admitted how she truly felt to someone else.
“Oh, Brenley. I’m so sorry. You’re not going to want to hear this but you have to tell him how you feel.”
“I can’t. If he turns me down I won’t be able to bear it.”
“And if you never try you will always wonder what could have been. There must be some way you can tell him. You deserve to find love more than anyone I know. This is your chance. You have to go out on a limb sometimes. Take a chance. You might get your heart broken. But you also just might discover the most beautiful thing there is.”
“Oh yeah, and what’s that? Because so far all I’ve gotten through relationships is pain.”
“The most beautiful thing in the world is love, Brenley. It’s when you give someone your heart. All of it. Unconditionally. It’s the most precious gift you can give. It’s up to them to cherish it and value it for what it is. It’s more precious than diamonds or money. It’s something you can’t take back nor will ever want to if it’s with the right person. If you’ve already given it, then don’t try to take it back. It’s not going to happen. Let Zane know how you feel. You’re offering him the most precious thing in the world. Any man worth his merit would never turn that down.”
“I know I need to let him know how I feel. I just don’t think I can. It hurts so much. Oh wait, hold on. Someone’s at the door. I think it could be Zane! I’ll call you back.”
“Okay! Go get your man, Brenley!”
Hanging up the phone Brenley rushed to the mirror, trying to straighten her disheveled hair. She was a mess, having not bothered to put any makeup on or even get out of her pajamas yet. Rushing to the door after taking so long, she swung it open in anticipation of seeing Zane’s radiant smile.
Chapter Nineteen
Zane’s phone rang. Hoping it was Brenley, he eagerly swung it up to his ear.
“Hello, this is Zane.”
“Zane, it’s Jim.”
“Oh, hi. How is everything going?”
“It’s gone pretty well the last several days but we still haven’t located Frederickson. His family has no idea where he is. I tried calling Brenley first but she didn’t answer. We think he is trying to escape and won’t be after either of you but I just wanted you to know the situation. We were supposed to have a security officer at both of your places but it seems there was a mix-up and they never made it. They should be over there within the hour though. Just a heads-up. If you talk to Brenley please let her know as well.”
“I sure will. Thanks for the update, Jim.” Zane was already racing to his car. If something happened to Brenley his life would be over. Frederickson might be trying to escape but if he wasn’t, Zane was going to be there to protect Brenley. Climbing into Destiny’s Fate, he tore out of his complex and raced to her apartment.
Reaching her place, he ran to her door. Catching his breath outside before knocking, he contemplated what he was going to say to her. Standing outside the door he heard a man’s voice inside. He couldn’t tell who it was but the person didn’t sound happy. He was speaking in a raised voice. Suddenly the door opened and there stood Frederickson looking back toward Brenley.
Not hesitating an instant, Zane
launched a kick to Frederickson’s chest, sending him hurtling back into the foyer. Hopping on top of him, Zane landed several quick punches in succession before Frederickson even knew what had happened. Hitting his head against the tile floor, he was knocked out cold.
Looking up at Brenley, Zane realized she was dressed in the business suit that always sent him over the edge. He instantly found himself bulging from how it fitted her body. “Are you okay?” he asked her softly.
“Yes, just shaken. He has a gun in his coat pocket. He was going to make me go to the bank and withdraw all the investment income before he disappeared.”
“Don’t worry, baby. I’m not going to let anyone hurt you. Ever.”
Taking the gun out of Frederickson’s pocket, he dragged him outside and into the parking garage. Just then the security officer arrived. Zane explained what had happened and turned the weapon over to the officer.
Happy that the conflict was over, Zane braced himself for the hard part. Brenley was cold and had already gone back into her apartment. It was perfect.
A few moments later his delivery arrived. On his way over he had called a florist to have a rush delivery of red roses brought to the apartment. Tipping the delivery guy, he gathered his courage and walked back over to Brenley’s apartment, knocking on the door.
* * * * *
Hearing the knock on the door, Brenley gave one last encouraging look to herself in the mirror before moving to open it. Swinging it open, she gasped. There stood Zane with two bouquets of roses in his hands. How did he get those so fast? Looking into his eyes, her heart felt like it had stopped. At first he didn’t say a word, then he stepped inside, bringing his lips to hers in a passionate kiss. Releasing her lips, he handed the flowers to her.
