Of Demons & Stones: A Tri-Stone Trilogy

by Anne L. Parks

  I look over at him and tilt my head to the side.

  "I'm tired of the constant interrogations. 'Why don't you settle down and start a family?' or even the simple, 'Met anyone new?'"

  I chuckle. I know these situations all too well. "Ah, the curse of being the only single person at the table."

  "Exactly." Alex grabs my hand, and we walk toward the boat once again. "Do you want to go to family dinner night with me next Sunday?" He glances sideways, lifts my hand to his lips, and kisses my fingers.

  "I see. You're going to throw me to the wolves?"

  He laughs. "More like safety in numbers, baby."

  "Sure." I lean over and kiss him on the cheek. "I would love to go."

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Once again, I'm in the elevator on my way to the penthouse with Alex at my side. Tension is thick, and my breathing ramps the closer we get to the top. Alex called Jack from the car and let him know we need to meet with him.

  The doors slide open, and Sarah peers at us. "Good morning, Mr. Stone, Kylie. Mr. Daniels is waiting for you in his office. Can I get coffee for either of you?"

  "No, thank you," Alex responds politely.

  I shake my head and step around the reception desk. "We'll head there now, Sarah. Thanks."

  Jack's corner office is about four times larger than mine, with a spectacular view of the bay, and is the only one in the building that has built-in floor-to-ceiling bookcases instead of interior glass walls.

  Jack shakes Alex's hand, and he gives me a fatherly peck on the cheek. Alex and I sit on the couch as Jack lowers into one of the chairs, facing us.

  "What can I do for you both?" He rests his elbows on the arms of the chair, his fingertips forming a steeple just below his chin.

  I take a deep breath. I wish to God I didn't have to do this. I explain John's abuse—past and present—as unemotionally as possible.

  Various shades of red color Jack's face until it's almost purple. His lips are pressed together so tightly they're a ghostly white.

  Alex is no better. Every muscle in his body stiffens, and his knuckles are white from the death grip on his knees. Knowing Alex and his need to protect me, I’m sure it’s just as difficult for him to hear all of this for a second time. And I know he's blaming himself for not adequately protecting me.

  He has protected me, though, and probably saved my life. If John gotten me alone after he drugged me, he would've beaten and tortured me and left me for dead, just as he had threatened so many times.

  I take a deep breath and reach for Alex's hand without looking at him. I know I'll lose the tenuous hold I have on my emotions if I see the hurt and pain in his eyes.

  Jack is looking straight past me, out the windows. The room is deathly silent. I wait for a reaction, and he finally blinks a couple of times and runs his hands over his face before turning his gaze on me.

  "John beat you so badly that you have scars?"

  I swallow harshly and steady my nerves. John can't hurt me anymore. I’m stronger now. "Yes."

  "Why didn't you come to me, Kylie? I would've helped you."

  The hurt in Jack's voice and the pain and caring in his eyes nearly bring me to tears. After everything he's done for me, he didn't deserve to find out this way.

  I move around to the empty chair next to him and take hold of his hand. This man is the closest thing I've ever had to a devoted, supportive father, and I feel like I've failed him.

  "I'm sorry, Jack. I wish I could've told you. It wasn't because I didn't want to. Please believe me. I went into shock that night, and I locked it all away. I never talked about it with anyone. I just tried to pretend it never happened. The first time I opened up about it was last week."

  "What happened to bring it out now?"

  "John's been lashing out since I started dating Alex." I quickly try to gauge his reaction to the confirmation that I'm in a romantic relationship with not only our top client at the firm but also a close family friend. "John threatened me, assaulted me at the gala, broke into my home, and hit me. On Friday, I think he drugged me, but I have no actual proof of it."

  Jack rubs his chin. "Kylie, why haven't you reported any of this—the recent events?"

  "Jack, you know my career is everything to me. I was scared John would follow through on his threats to take it all away. And I've been so ashamed."

  Jack releases an exasperated breath.

  "I know it's hard to understand, but I just wanted it all to go away."

  "Well, you'll get your wish, at least in part. This ends today, okay? Nothing will happen to your career. I won't let it."

  "Thanks, Jack."

  We all stand, and Jack gives me a big hug before glancing at Alex, who moves in behind me and places his hand on my lower back. Jack's gaze switches from loving father to overprotective parent in the blink of an eye.

  "I'm trusting you with my girl, Alex. She's very dear to Annabelle and me, and I expect you to treat her properly."

  My heart melts. A silly grin crosses my face.

  Alex smiles and extends his hand. "I intend to, Jack. You have my word. There is nothing more important to me than making sure she's taken care of. She's very special to me, as well."

  A lump forms in my throat, and I look down, hoping neither of them has noticed the intense flush in my cheeks. It's a little overwhelming to have this much love and attention directed at me. It feels wonderful and new but also daunting. I'm not sure if I want to wrap my arms around them in a group hug or run from the room and get some air. After a lifetime of people leaving me and taking all their love with them, I'm not used to the outpouring.

  "All right, back to work." Jack walks with Alex and me down the hall and stops at the reception desk to speak to Sarah.

  I walk behind my desk and turn on my computer. Alex checks his watch and grimaces. Dealing with my career and personal issues means he's neglecting his business.

  He glances at me. "You'll be all right here?"

  "Yeah, I'm good."

  He walks behind my desk and grabs my waist. "Okay. I need to get to this meeting. I'll check on you later." He kisses me and runs his fingers through my hair.

  The rumor will be buzzing with the news that Alex and I are still together. Maybe my odds will improve in the office pool.

  But what worries me right now—how is John going to react to the news, and how do I protect myself and Alex from the fallout?

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Alex steps onto the elevator and out of sight. Popping my head out my door, I call for Lisa.

  "Have a seat," I say to her..

  Lisa furrows her brow.

  This is humiliating. I hate that my personal life is going to be aired to the firm. Not the specifics of what John did to me, but it's going to be obvious that whatever Jack has in mind, it will be because of me.

  "There's some shit going on, and someday we'll open a bottle of wine, and I'll unload all the gory details. For right now, what you need to know is that John and I have some major issues between us that are coming to a head."

  She snickers and nods. "Yeah, I gather John's not happy about you seeing Alex, huh?"

  "You've noticed that, have you?" I take a deep breath and exhale through my nose. "Does everyone else know?"

  She shrugs. "There's some speculation. Most of the chatter just involves your relationship with Alex."

  "Anything I want to know about?"

  "No."

  I cringe. Lisa is my connection to the inner circle of the firm, and she tells it to me straight.

  "I'm not sure exactly what's happening today," I explain, "but I wanted you to have some advance warning. I really appreciate that I can trust you to keep my personal life private."

  "Pfft, I'm not telling those two-faced bitches in the office anything. My loyalty is to you, Kylie."

  I'm extremely lucky to have her in my corner. "Thanks." I flip open the Trevalis file on my desk. "Have you had a chance to read through this piece-of-shit brief from the DA on
Trevalis? It's ridiculous."

  We spend the next half an hour going over the brief, make some notes, and discuss various response arguments. Lisa is extremely smart and very knowledgeable with a great instinct for legal defense. I trust her insights.

  "Where are we on Crawford and his blood test?" I ask.

  Lisa grabs her steno pad and flips through it. "The motion to suppress is almost done. I'll have it for your review this afternoon."

  "Good, I want to get that filed as soon—" I dart my gaze over to the person stepping off the elevator. My heart lurches to a stop.

  John glances at me, a sickening smirk on his face. He turns and takes a couple of steps toward my office.

  Sarah must say something to him, because he stops and looks at her. She has the phone to her ear, presses a button, and has a short conversation before she replaces the handset in the cradle. John then heads down the hallway to Jack's office.

  I meet Lisa's gaze, and we both take a deep breath. My heart rate races out of control, and my stomach twists and rolls. I open the file in front of me, but I have no comprehension of what I'm looking at. I'm too concerned with what is going on in Jack's office to give a shit about the case in front of me.

  There's a knock on the door, and Sarah pokes her head in. "Someone named Jake is here to see you, Kylie." She throws a quizzical look over her shoulder at the large man standing behind her.

  I smile and shake my head slightly. "Alex..." I mutter. I can't help but smile at his overprotective nature. Of course he's going to have someone here to protect me—whether I need it or not.

  "Thanks, Sarah. You can let him in."

  Sarah steps out of the way and closes the door once Jake is inside. "Have a seat, Jake."

  Lisa glances at Jake and smoothes her hair.

  "Jake, this is my right hand, Lisa. Lisa, this is Alex's right hand, Jake."

  Jake smiles broadly at Lisa. "It's very nice to meet you, Lisa."

  "It's nice to meet you too, Jake. Would you like some coffee or anything?" Lisa’s voice is softer, and she is turning on the charm.

  Holy shit! Is she flirting with him? I watch the sparks fly between the two of them until Sarah's voice over the intercom interrupts us. "Alex Stone for you, Kylie."

  "Thanks, Sarah." I pick up the receiver, swivel around in my chair with my back to Jake and Lisa, and provide all of us with some privacy.

  "Hey, baby," Alex says. "Heads-up, I sent Jake over just in case John becomes disruptive."

  "It's not really a heads-up after he arrives, when I can't object, Alex."

  "Hmm...I'll take that under advisement for the future, counselor." Alex chuckles, and the sound nearly erases my fears. "I have a business dinner tonight. Any chance I can interest you in attending with me?"

  "Sure, I can do that." I lower my voice, so the couple behind me can't hear. "Did you know that Jake can smile?"

  We talk for a few more minutes before I hang up. Three security guards step off the elevator, and Sarah directs them down the hallway in front of my office. The light, fun atmosphere dissipates and is replaced with the potential gravity of the situation.

  The silence in the office is shattered. "Fucking bitch!" A door slams with enough force to shake the walls and windows—along with my confidence.

  I look over at Jake whose carefree smile is gone. In its place is a stoic, tense gaze. He reaches over and lightly pats Lisa's arm.

  Welcome to my life...

  One of the security guards passes by the windows in front of my office. John follows behind him. His gaze darts around until he finds me. His eyes are dark and sinister. The immense hatred emanating from him is palpable, even through the thick glass separating us.

  Jake stands, opens his suit jacket, and exposes the gun holstered at his side. John glances at it, but before he can do anything, the security guard walking behind him gives him a shove in the back, and they continue down the hall.

  They stop in front of the elevators and wait for the car to arrive. John turns his head enough for me to see him mouth a fatal message.

  You're dead.

  The threat hits me like an arctic blast. Shards of ice slice through me, and freeze my soul. It's not an empty threat.

  The security guards escort John onto the elevator and the doors slide shut.

  "You okay, Kylie?" Jake asks.

  "I'm good," I lie.

  I want to run and hide where John will never find me. I want to sail to the middle of the ocean and pretend I ever met him. But what I want more than anything is Alex. He's the calming force in my life, my safety net.

  I would give anything to curl up in his arms and block out John's threats of violence that bounce through my head and the horrific images they conjure.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Alex brushes my hair back out of my eyes and gazes at my black dress. "You look lovely tonight."

  I grasp the lapel of his jacket, pull him closer, and kiss him. "Thank you, and you're handsome, as always. Yu missed the real fireworks in the office today—Jake and Lisa." I keep my voice low even though I know Jake can't hear me from the driver's seat.

  Alex raises his eyebrows. "Really?"

  Nodding, I chuckle. "Lisa was checking out his gun."

  Alex throws his head back and lets out a boisterous laugh, which sends tingles straight between my thighs.

  "Okay, so we need to discuss something." I'm hopeful that Alex's good mood will last through this conversation, although I'm pretty sure he's not going to be happy with what I'm about to say. "Now that John's been fired, I should probably go back to my place."

  The beautiful smile instantly evaporates. His eyes darken and snuff out the bright sparkle. "No, it's not safe."

  I squeeze his hand. "He lost his job, and he knows we're serious now. Jack's got my back at the office. I think John's done with this game."

  Alex shifts in his seat. "Except he threatened your life before he left the office today." Thanks, Jake. Snitch.

  Grabbing my hand, Alex sighs. "Stay with me until we can track him down and keep him under surveillance."

  This is what I wanted, to feel safe, to allow Alex to cocoon me from the danger that John poses. So why do I feel like my life is one man dictating required preventive methods because of another's man's obsession with me? My independence is slipping away. I have no control over my life or my decisions anymore.

  But I can't ignore the measures John is taking to keep me.

  Alex grazes my cheek with his fingertips. "Come on, Kylie. I'm trying to keep you safe, but you've got to meet me halfway."

  He's right, of course. I have to get past the paranoia that I'm losing myself again or allowing a man to control my life. Alex is not John. John wants to hurt and humiliate me. Alex wants to protect me. And he has only ever made me feel special, desirable, and respected.

  "Okay," I sigh. "This is me meeting you in the middle. I'll stay until you find him."

  Alex smiles and kisses the back of my hand as we pull to a stop in front of the restaurant.

  The maître d' shows us to a large round table in the center of the dining room. Three men are already seated when we arrive, and they immediately rise as soon as they see Alex.

  Alex places his hand on the small of my back. "Gentlemen, I'd like you all to meet my girlfriend, she'll be joining us for dinner."

  The men all nod and smile as Alex continues the introductions.

  Bruce Baldwin, a tall good-looking man, barely takes the time to shake my hand. It's obvious he's more interested in speaking with Alex than wasting time or energy on me.

  Rick Manlan is next to Bruce. He's quiet and reserved, and I detect a British accent. He's either severely jet-lagged or extremely pissed off. And he doesn't seem any more interested in me than Bruce.

  Next to me is a short man with a wispy comb-over named Peter Johnston. I'm briefly heartened when he smiles at me, but his clammy hand hangs on to mine a little too long, and his eyes are stuck on my breasts.

  Alex pulls my c
hair out. "Shall we sit?"

  I'm completely dumbfounded. I'm not sure what surprises me more—that Alex never offers anything about me other than my girlfriend title, not even my name, or that no one seems to notice or care.

  Halfway through dinner, I'm falling asleep. The boring business discussion, while being completely ignored by Alex due to Bruce commanding all the attention, nearly has me in tears. I'm also highly perturbed that I seem to be little more than a space-filler at the table and entertainment for the balding little Yoda next to me who is still staring at my breasts. He has a creepy, slimy smile on his face.

  He leans a little too close to me, and my skin crawls. "I didn't catch your name."

  I force a smile but don't look at him. "It wasn't offered." I'm past the point of being a dutiful girlfriend, and I am spiraling headfirst into the bitch from hell.

  "Well," he continues, apparently not interested in my name, after all, "if you're free next week, I have another one of these dinners I must attend. I would love for you to join me. I promise to make it worth your while." He places his hand on my knee, and squeezes.

  What the fuck?

  I jerk away from him, ready to slap the little troll across his creepy face. And then it hits me. These men think I'm just another one of Alex's fuck buddies. They're not interested in me because they know they'll never see me again. After all, in these circles especially, it's probably well known that Alex uses a woman one time and then tosses her out.

  Creepy Peter obviously has no issues with Alex Stone's sloppy seconds.

  And that's it! I am done!

  I place my hand on my forehead to stave off the immense throb in my head.

  Alex leans closer to me. "You okay, Kylie?" he whispers, his voice laced with worry.

  All I hear, however, is my name ringing in my ears. It's the first time I've heard it since we've been here, and I'm seriously bent. "I have a migraine."

  "I'll take you home then." He rubs my back, clearly concerned and completely oblivious to my current mood.

  "No, you stay. I'll have Jake take me home."