"Good morning." I turn my head to softly kiss him on the lips.
"Morning, baby. Why didn't you wake me when you got up?" Alex walks over to the coffee pot.
Even in a white T-shirt and pajama pants, he exudes confidence and sexiness. The light fabric teasingly clings to his backside. I bite my lip and wish I had taken advantage of him in bed—sleeping or not.
"You looked peaceful, and after the week we've just had, I thought you could use the sleep."
Alex faces me, sipping his coffee. "Thanks, baby, but I hate waking up without you there. You're always the first thing I want to focus on when I open my eyes."
Sliding off the barstool, I stroll over to him, place my hands on his hips, and lean in to kiss him. "I will keep that in mind, my highly romantic-nonromantic boyfriend."
I pull a box of Cocoa Puffs from the pantry shelf. It's my favorite cereal and a new acquisition by Maggie, at my request. It was a special treat for me when I was growing up, something I would get sparingly. I fill a bowl, and adding too much milk, and then grab a spoon and sit on the counter, facing Alex.
"You're the reason we now have kid's cereal in the house?" Alex smirks and shakes his head.
"This is good stuff, babe. When was the last time you had Cocoa Puffs?" I place a spoonful in my mouth, trying not to dribble milk down my chin.
Alex moves in front of me, positions himself between my legs, and places his hands on my knees. "Probably when I was five or six."
"Dear God, man! You are long overdue!"
I place a spoonful of cereal in his mouth, and Alex's eyes dance and gleam. I love him like this—all playful and relaxed.
"See? Good stuff, huh?" I take another mouthful for myself.
Alex laughs as he wipes milk from my chin, and I feed him another spoonful. He leans in and quickly kisses me, and I giggle and squirm. I look sadly at the bowl of milk, now void of cereal. Alex reaches across the counter for the cereal box, tips it, and refills the bowl.
"What do we have going on today?" I ask.
"Well"—Alex finishes chewing and swallows—"you need a vehicle. I thought we might go scout around and see what's out there. Unless you'd prefer another Jeep?"
"I loved my Jeep, and it's what I wanted at the time, but I think I'm ready for something a bit smaller and sportier."
"Okay, we can test-drive some cars and see what you like."
I place the cereal bowl on the counter, wrap my arms around Alex's neck, and pull him in for a kiss. "That sounds great, babe," I whisper, "but I have a very specific need right now that only you can satisfy."
I tighten my legs around his waist. My lips crash against his. His tongue enters my mouth, enticing mine into a slow rolling dance. He moves his hands to my backside, and pull me tightly against him, and I lock my feet behind his back.
He lifts me from the counter. "Your wish is my command, Miss Tate." And he carries me to the bedroom.
The Maserati rolls out of the parking lot and Alex lightly hits the accelerator. "So Mercedes is still in the running. BMW is out, and you will not even consider test-driving a Lexus. Does that about sum it up?"
I nod. One dealership after another stretches down the road. There has to be something here that intrigues me. I spot it and point. "Porsche."
Alex glances sideways at me, sighs, and pulls onto the lot. "It's not really what I would've picked for you, baby."
I shrug. "Good thing you're not picking for me, then."
"I'm not sure they're the safest sports car on the road."
The hair on the back of my neck prickles. I can almost feel my independence slipping away.
"And a Maserati is?" I ask. "Or do you mean because I'm a girl and can't handle the power of a Porsche or a Maserati?"
He pulls to a stop, gets out, and comes around to open my door. He doesn't respond.
Three salesmen quickly approach us, salivating as they near Alex. I head toward the lot, survey the inventory, and let Alex deal with the hungry hyenas.
About three quarters of the way down the first row of perfectly spaced cars, I spot it. This is the car that has been calling to me. It's the Porsche 911 Carrera S in metallic blue with light-beige interior—convertible, of course. I stand in front of it, desperate to pop the hood and succumb to the mastery of German engineering.
I am in love.
Alex comes up behind me and places his hands on my hips and his chin on my shoulder. "Is this the one?"
"Oh, yeah." I want behind the wheel of this amazing piece of high performance and speed. I'm more than willing to test whether it can actually accelerate from zero to sixty in just four-point-three seconds and push the limits of the reported top speed of a hundred and eighty-eight miles per hour.
Alex turns to the young salesman who has followed him over like a puppy. "We'd like to take this one for a spin."
"I'd be happy to take you out, sir," the youngster replies. He completely ignores me.
I look at Alex and roll my eyes. This is the third time today this has happened, and I'm growing weary of the assumptions that I'm just along to help Alex pick out a pretty color.
"Well, Scott," Alex says, "it's not for me. It's for her. And I'm willing to wager that she understands more about this vehicle and its specifications than you do.I think we can handle the test-drive without a chaperone."
"I'm sorry, sir, but it's our policy to accompany drivers during a test-drive. I'd be happy to take each of you out separately though," Scott says.
It's clear he has no idea who the man in front of him is, or the power he wields. I almost feel sorry for Scott, but I do enjoy the show.
"Scott, I'm going to let you in on some private information. Do you see the car I drive? It was paid for in cash. I'm certain that I can purchase half of your inventory, if I so desire. I'm not going to steal the car. If I wreck it, I will buy it. We don't need you to accompany us. I understand, however, that you're just following company policy. So I want you to go find your manager and ask him to come over and talk to me."
Alex is calm and pleasant, and I'm trying to maintain my composure but want to break out laughing.
"Yes, sir," Scott says, "but he'll just tell you the same thing, I'm afraid."
"I see. Well, I think I'll give it a shot anyway. If you could, just let him know that Alex Stone would like a quick word. I won't take up much of his time."
I pull out onto the street with Alex sitting beside me. Most of the sales force watches us, gawking.
I press on the gas pedal. The tires squeal, and I move into a clear lane. "Buckle up, babe, and hold on tight. It's time to give them a show."
I accelerate to one hundred miles per hour by the time I make it to the next block. The car drives like a dream. It's almost better than I imagined, and I have a great imagination when it comes to fast cars.
I merge onto the highway. Before I realize it, I'm doing one twenty-five, and the car is still as smooth as it was going fifty. I weave effortlessly through the cars and across the four lanes. A few miles up the road, I decide to pull off with the intention of letting Alex get some time behind the wheel.
He shakes his head. "This is your deal, baby. I'm happy just being a passenger."
I take a quick look at the interior, in search of one button in particular. I pull my hair into a ponytail and depress the button. The top pops open and folds efficiently into the rear compartment.
Alex has a big grin on his face, and I can only assume it mirrors mine. I check the side mirrors for oncoming traffic, and pull back onto the road.
Rolling into the parking spot next to the Maserati, I put the top back up. Alex locks the doors, allowing us time to talk before the predators descend on us, mouths watering and fangs at the ready.
"What do you think?" he asks.
"I like it. It's definitely fun to drive. It's everything I thought it would be and more. What do you think?" I'm apprehensive that he'll try to talk me out of buying the Porsche, preferring the safety rating of the Mercedes.
&
nbsp; "I think you look amazingly hot driving this car, baby, and if you don't buy it, I will. Then, I will make you drive me around in it just so I can look at you the entire time with a hard-on."
I stare at him, momentarily taken aback until his words sink in. He chuckles, grabs my hand, and kisses the back of it. I laugh, a silly grin on my face, as if I'm a child being given permission to eat all her Halloween candy in one night.
Warmth builds in the center of my heart and flows through my body. Leaning over, I kiss him, and then he unlocks the doors to close the deal.
Chapter Forty-Seven
Ridiculously happy, I toss the Maserati keys to Alex as we enter the kitchen. Jake and Thomas are leaning against opposite counters, their eyes following me.
"You drove the Mas?" Thomas asks me, unusually casual in front of Alex.
Alex tends to make Thomas uncomfortable and nervous, so he's typically very formal and professional when Alex is around. After spending more time together, since Thomas is officially assigned to protect me, we've become more relaxed and friendly around each other.
"Drove the hell out of it," I answer Thomas directly.
Jake takes a drink from his water bottle. "Did you find a new car, Kylie?"
I love the new relaxed atmosphere in the house lately. We all seem more like a weird, completely unconventional family, which suits me perfectly.
"I did." And the silly grin returns to my face.
"Well, tell them what you bought." Alex glances over at Jake.
"Porsche Carrera. Convertible."
Thomas leans over to fist-bump me. "Sa-weet. Is it here?"
"No, we had to order the one I wanted. Alex insisted on some safety upgrades. Hopefully, it'll be here in a couple of days."
I look over at Alex, who is having a telepathic conversation with Jake. I'm getting used to those, too, but I hate when I'm being treated like a child with the two adults having a private conversation I can't be a part of.
Thomas points to a box on the island. "You got a package from New York, Kylie. It came while you were out."
"Excellent. Must be a surprise from Ryan and Paul."
The label is computer-generated, which is odd for Ryan, who still prefers the personal touch of handwritten notes even if they are mailing labels. I don't give it a second thought though, concerned only with discovering what they have sent. I pull the packing tape off the box and open it. Two pieces of paper are lying upside down, so I quickly move them out of the way, place them on the counter, excited to get to the prize inside.
Lying on the bottom is the dismembered body of the white cat with a black patch over one eye that crossed my path during my run on the beach.
I jump back from the box. "Oh my God." My stomach roils, and I suck in large gulps of air to stave off the need to vomit.
Alex, Jake, and Thomas rush over to the box and peer inside.
"What the fuck?" Alex yells.
Jake picks up the sheets of paper I hastily discarded. He briefly scans them before handing them over to Alex.
"It's the cat," I mumble, trying not to cry but shaking nearly uncontrollably. "It was on the trail when I went running the other day. I almost tripped over it. I remember it because of the patch around its eye."
Jake and Thomas are peering into the box while Alex looks at the papers.
"Who would do this, Alex?" I ask, searching his face for an answer that makes sense.
"John." Alex hands me one of the sheets of paper.
There is a picture printed on it. I study it for a moment as an arctic chill runs through my body. It's me when I was on the beach earlier in the week. I'm on my knees after collapsing, and I'm crying.
Scrawled in red ink is a message.
You're next, bitch!
"This was the day I went running, the day I cut my leg." I glance at the other sheet Alex has in his hand. "What's that?" I ask, reaching for it.
Alex pulls it away.
"Alex, let me see it," I demand.
A grim line crosses his mouth. Reluctantly, he hands the other picture to me. This one shows Alex with a red X across him.
"No." Pressure builds in my chest, as if a hundred-pound weight sits on top of my heart.
Alex retrieves the pictures and gives them to Jake. "Call Reyes and get him out here." Turning to me, he places his hands on my face. "It'll be okay, Kylie. He's not going to get anywhere near you."
What is he thinking? I don't care about myself. I care about him. The thought of John hurting Alex in any way—because of me—I can’t bear it.
* * *
Alex and I sit at the breakfast table across from Sergeant Reyes and Sergeant Carter. Once again, they take our statements and gather information about John. Carter scribbles in his notepad as Reyes looks from one picture to the other now safely sheathed in clear plastic evidence sleeves. Reyes is less confrontational with Alex, which puts me more at ease. He pushes the picture of Alex across to us, and reluctantly move my eyes to it. Nausea hits me full-force again. John is planning to kill the only man I have ever truly loved and cannot seem to live without.
"Any idea where this was taken, Mr. Stone?" Reyes asks.
"Looks like in the hallway outside the courtroom before Kylie's opening statement in the Trevalis trial."
A wave of tension washes over me. "How did John get past security? They all know him there. Weren't they informed there's a warrant for his arrest?" I glare at Reyes as if it's his fault.
"Yes, Miss Tate," Reyes says softly. "They were given all the information. I promise you that I'll get to the bottom of this and find out what happened."
Alex grabs my hand and reassuringly squeezes it.
I look back at the picture of Alex, and a lump forms in my throat. He's completely oblivious to the fact that a madman was close enough to take his picture while planning his death.
Reyes and Carter leave with the evidence bags in hand and our statements properly executed. Alex, Jake, and Thomas huddle in the study, talking low so I can't hear them.
I wander into the library and browse through the books, but my mind is a million miles away. Various scenarios of how John can get to Alex run through my mind. I shake my head, take a deep breath, and try to push them away. But no matter how hard I try, the feeling of dread that has pervaded every facet of my body, of my heart and soul, will not lessen. My head is throbbing, and nausea is constantly circling in my gut. Every beat of my heart feels like the hand of the devil is squeezing the very life out of me.
The air shifts in the room. Alex comes up behind me and places his hands on my shoulders. "You okay, baby?" He kisses the back of my head, his voice slightly muffled as his lips linger against my hair.
I turn around to face him, and my heart drops. The lines in his forehead have deepened. This is causing so much stress and fear. It's not fair to Alex. He shouldn't have to pay for my mistakes.
"I'm good."
My attempt to belie his uneasiness works as he smiles back at me, running his hands over my hair.
"Okay, I'm going to do some work in my study, and then I'm yours for the night."
I wrap my arms around his waist. "Really? To do with as I please?" I kiss his neck.
"Whatever your heart, or any other parts, desire, baby."
I chuckle as he pulls my chin up and kisses me. As he turns to leave, my heart sinks. An overwhelming sense of sadness shoots through me at the loss of his physical presence. It's silly, I know, since he'll be in the next room. He saunters across the hall and disappears from my view. The lump in my throat sticks there, no matter how hard I try to swallow it down.
Returning my attention back to the bookcase, I grab Northanger Abbey, one of my favorite Jane Austen classics. I've read it a hundred times, and right now, I need something familiar to help calm the anxiety building within me.
After shifting into various positions on the chaise in an attempt to find some comfortable spot, I finally get up and walk across the hall to Alex's study. I need to be close to him. He's s
taring intently at his computer screen, engrossed in whatever he's reading. I take him in, marveling at how handsome and perfect this man is, even in his imperfections.
After a moment, he glances up at me, smiling, but his eyebrows squished together. "What's up, baby?"
"Nothing." I sink into one of the leather club chairs. "Will I disturb you if I read in here?"
Alex's eyes light up. "Of course not."
I nestle into the chair, pull my legs up, and open my book. A kind of peace comes over me with our closer proximity. I need to see him, feel the shift in the air whenever we're near, hear his breathing.
I never would've imagined that this man would be my lifeline, the calming entity I've been craving my entire life. But here he is, the man the world sees as a shrewd businessman, a womanizer, and a player. But they don't see who he truly is. That's all for me. And they'll probably never understand that he is far from the man they portray him to be—never understand how I could fall in love with him, how he is everything I will ever need.
My eyes grow heavy, and the weight of the afternoon's events finally take their toll on me. So many thoughts race through my mind, visions that I never want to see played out in real life. I want to shut my brain down, shut everything down and escape reality for a while. Sleep offers me that reprieve, and I finally allow myself to drift off, knowing Alex is safe, just a few feet away from me.
Chapter Forty-Eight
Someone is watching me. His eyes burn into me, but I can't see him. Running the trails around the periphery of the estate, my eyes dart from tree to tree. But the foliage is too thick, and it's impossible to make out a body in the dark curtain.
My breathing ratchets up, as does my pace. The brown dirt path beneath my feet begins to darken. There is a thick substance that I'm unable to place. My shoes are covered in red stickiness. A metallic smell wafts through the air.
Fresh blood.
I stifle a scream, move off the path, and run along the side of it.
Of Demons & Stones: A Tri-Stone Trilogy Page 28
