by Melissa Keir
As one week passed, life settled into somewhat of a routine. Talkative Marcus drove a quiet Betsie to work each day, often sharing tales of Jonah’s childhood, and then waited around until she was ready to go home. Evenings were family time as everyone was around enjoying dinner together and sharing stories from their day. While no one really saw Luke during the night, everyone slept better knowing he was watching over them.
Betsie enjoyed the family meals the best. It reminded her of what she’d always wanted to be a part of a real family. Each took turns making dinners and some nights they played cards or watched movies on the television. Marcus loved making everyone laugh. He often cracked jokes at the other’s expenses, but Betsie liked trying to beat Marcus at his own word games.
Sometimes talk turned to Johnny’s murder, but there wasn’t any updates. Betsie didn’t want to share what she overheard that night because she wasn’t clear on exactly what had occurred. What if I told them and an innocent man was arrested? The guilt would eat me alive. She often snuck longing looks at Jonah when he wasn’t looking. Each night Jonah would walk her to her bedroom and kiss her goodnight on the forehead.
She longed for more than those chaste kisses but couldn’t speak her needs to him. I’m unsure of Jonah’s feelings. Does he feel sorry or does he find me attractive? Lying in bed at night, Betsie would fantasize about Jonah touching her body with desire. She longed for his strong hands to play with her breasts and push her down on the bed while he claimed her.
Jonah was having similar desires. It was all he could do to stop himself each night from throwing her on the bed and pealing her clothes off to expose that lush body that haunted his dream. I don’t want her to think that I’m taking advantage of her being here, or that I act like this with all women. I’m fascinated by her strength in handling the attempt on her life and the way she finds humor in everything. But there’s something about her pixie-like face, tantalizing body, and sexy mouth that I can’t stop wanting.
So they lay in bed separated by a wall afraid to share their true feelings but ached for each other. Sexual tension and frustration built inside them waiting for an explosion.
****
Work had also settled into a routine for Betsie. Chalking up the incidents to just being in the wrong place at the wrong time, she wasn’t expecting it when trouble came.
The drive into work on Tuesday was dreary with the incessant showers. The weather was mild for late October. Puddles filled the street and the miserable rain made everyone grouchy. With a quick wave bye as Marcus dropped Betsie off at the main office door to Anderson Trucking, she shrugged out of her raincoat holding it in two fingers. “Hello Miss Hildebrand. The weather’s quite yucky today.”
“Yes, it’s bleak outside. I see that you have a new boyfriend. What does that nice young man do for a living?”
Hating to have to lie to her boss, she answered, “He’s a former baseball player. He isn’t playing anymore and so he’s been driving me to work.”
“Well, I hope he can find a job. Mr. Anderson always talks about how important a college degree is. I hope your young man was smart enough to get one. By the way, an envelope came for you. I left it on your desk.”
“Thank you, Miss Hildebrand. I’d better get started with my day. Being punctual is important to me.” Seeing Miss Hildebrand’s nod, Betsie headed down to the secretarial offices.
At her desk, Betsie hung the dripping raincoat on the hanger at the front of the area. Smiling at the rest of the girls who already were at work typing on their computer keyboards, entering shipping manifests and printing off invoices, Betsie quickly turned on her computer.
Noticing the large envelope on her desk, Betsie furrowed her brow, curious about who would have sent something to her at work. Opening the envelope, photos of Betsie at work, around town, and even from the Pigg house, fell out onto her desk. Grabbing one, Betsie noticed that the photos had threats written on them. Shaking with fear, she wondered, Who could have sent these? How did he get my picture? Has someone been watching me for the last two weeks?
Putting them back into the envelope, she looked for a return address or something that would indicate who the photos came from, but there wasn’t even a stamp or shipping label on it. Her name on the front was written in black marker. Hiding the envelope in her desk, Betsie walked back up front to Miss Hildebrand’s desk.
“Miss Hildebrand, did you see who sent the envelope?” She asked with a cautious voice.
“No, I didn’t. It was sitting on my desk this morning so I put it on your desk. Why? Wasn’t there a note inside?”
“No, no name. I just wanted to thank them for such a thoughtful gift.”
“Maybe that it was your boyfriend, trying to surprise you.”
“You could be right. I’ll ask him later. Thank you for your help. I’d better get back to my desk.”
Betsie’s heart was beating very quickly as she walked back to her desk. Feeling unsafe, she wanted to call Jonah but knew that if she did that, she would have to share about what she overheard. Maybe it’s time to do that, she thought sadly. First, the attempt on her life and now the photos, it was obvious that someone had seen her that night in the office and was out to kill her.
Putting the photos out of her mind, she started on the invoices on her desk and vowed that tonight she would talk with Jonah and finally tell him the truth.
****
Tuesday was the longest day in her life, knowing that someone out there was watching her and wanting to hurt her. Putting on her fake smile and keeping her head focused on her work was a challenge. She wanted nothing more than to run to the safety of Jonah’s arms.
As the clock struck five, she gathered her things and headed out to Marcus’ car. Because of her somber mood, Marcus could tell that something was bothering her. Trying to lighten the mood, he told her about the time that Jonah was learning to dance so that he could impress the most popular girl in high school. He’d taken lessons from Arthur Murray Dance Studio and was partnered up with a seventy-five year old woman who couldn’t help but step on his feet. Even that silly story couldn’t bring Betsie out of her funk. The rest of the ride was eerily silent.
Chapter Seven
Back at the house, Betsie ran to her room and finally lost control of her emotions, crying uncontrollably. Fear gripped her but also worry over how she’d put Jonah and his brothers in harm’s way. It was obvious that the person who sent the photos knew where she was and felt that they could kill her at any time.
Hearing the sound of her crying, Marcus filled Jonah in on the strangely silent drive home. While he wasn’t sure what had gotten into her, he knew that Betsie was upset about something that had happened at work. Urging Jonah to go talk to her, Marcus decided to start dinner.
Knocking on the bedroom door, “Betsie, can I come in? I want to know what has you so upset. Maybe I can help.”
Betsie opened the bedroom door. Jonah could see how puffy her eyes were from crying and quickly pulled her into his arms, rubbing his hands down her back. Murmuring reassurances to her, Jonah only wanted to comfort her and protect her from what hurt her so badly. Pulling her toward the bed, they sat in an embrace while her tears ended. “Are you ready to talk about what’s bothering you? I hate to see you upset. Please let me help you.”
Pulling the envelope out of her purse, Betsie handed it to him. “This was sitting at my desk when I came into work today. Whoever sent it left it on Miss Hildebrand’s desk with my name on it. There’s no return address and no way of knowing who sent it. But it’s the photos that scared me. Whoever sent this has been watching me and I’m putting all your lives in danger by staying here.”
As Jonah looked through the photographs, his stomach boiled. How did the photographer get past Luke? How didn’t we notice we were being watched? Determined to have an intense discussion with his brothers about what was going on, he couldn’t help but feel that they failed Betsie. She’d relied on them to protect her and this garbage showed up at her work.
Felling guilty, Betsie decided that this was the time to come clean with Jonah about what else she witnessed. “I’ve not been totally honest with you. There was another incident that happened at work but I wasn’t sure if I really heard what I thought I did, so I never mentioned it. But one night I overheard Mr. Anderson and another person talking about selling and transporting drugs. Mr. Anderson went back on his deal with the other guy and threats were exchanged. I didn’t think anyone saw me, but it’s obvious that someone did.”
“It sounds like someone knew you were there. The attempts on your life and the threatening photos were warnings for you to back off. But it’s obvious that they mean to get rid of you because of what you know.” Pulling her into his arms again, Jonah inhaled the smell of strawberry shampoo in her hair. “I promise that we will stop him. I’m going to talk to my captain about what you heard. You’ll have to come in and make a statement, but we may have enough to set up a sting and catch Mr. Anderson, putting him away once and for all.”
“I can’t believe that you would do all this for me,” snuggling closer into his arms, Betsie felt safe.
Placing his hands on her face, Jonah pulled her lips to his and kissed her deeply, running his tongue along her bottom lip. Hearing her moan of pleasure, he lay her down on the bed and began to run his hands over her shoulders, then ran his hands under her top on her stomach. Noticing how her breathing changed, Jonah bent down and kissed her abdomen, running his tongue along her belly button.
Betsie could hardly catch her breath. Jonah’s tongue was doing amazing things to her stomach, making her juices flow. Running her hands along his head, she relished the feel of his short buzz cut under her fingers. Pushing him back on the bed, she needed to feel his body. Pulling his shirt off, she ran her fingers over his chest. As she ran her fingers over his nipples, she heard a groan from his lips. Betsie’s gaze took on a sultry look as she bent over Jonah’s chest. Lightly she ran her tongue over his nipples and then sucked gently on them, eliciting another groan from him. Yum. He has the most delicious body.
“If you keep that up, I won’t be able to last. And I want to taste your body first. Take your clothes off,” he demanded.
She liked how he took charge and quickly stripped out of her clothes. Feeling a little nervous about her body, she crossed her hands in front of her chest as she stood at the foot of the bed.
“Come here. You are so beautiful. I can’t wait to taste you.”
“Why are you still dressed? I want to see your body too. Fair is fair, you have to take your clothes off too.”
As Jonah pulled the rest of his clothes off, Betsie couldn’t help but notice how muscular he was, with six-pack abs and a trail of hair leading from his belly button to his groin. But when she took a look at his penis, she gasped. Will he fit? I know Jonah won’t hurt me, but he looks so large. His erect member stood at attention with a touch of pre-cum escaping the head. Licking her lips, she lay down on the bed and tingled with anticipation.
Lying down next to her, he kissed her again, their tongues intertwined in their mouths. Unable to wait, he moved his mouth down to her breasts and teased each nipple into a peak with his mouth. Hearing her whimper, he gently bit down on her left nipple, causing her body to buck. I love how responsive she is. Nibbling his way down her stomach, he finally reached her pussy, inhaling her sweet scent. Opening her folds with this tongue, he lapped at her juices, delighting in her taste. Playing with her clit, he noticed her sighs of pleasure. Inserting a finger inside her pussy, he felt her tight core convulsing. “Come on baby, come for me,” he moaned.
Unable to contain herself, Betsie arched her body up to meet his mouth and cried out as waves of pleasure flooded her body. Reaching for his cock, she wrapped her hand around it and slowly pumped it up and down watching his expressive face as his desire shook his body. Running her tongue along the tip of his cock, she slowly took it into her mouth, tasting the pre-cum. Slowly, beginning a rhythm with her mouth, she drew his cock further and further into her mouth.
Moaning, “Please stop baby, I won’t last and I want to feel your tight warmth around my cock.” Jonah grabbed a condom from his nightstand and rolled it onto his erection. Laying Betsie on her back, he slowly entered her until he was fully gripped within her body. Taking a deep breath, he began slow movements in and out, trying to control his need. Soon, desire took over. He began to thrust into her pussy driving his passion higher and higher.
Betsie was hardly breathing because of the intense feelings that Jonah was eliciting from her body. His cock completely filled her, driving her lust out of control. Unable to stop from screaming his name, she came again just as his own climax occurred. Curling up into his side with her head on his chest, she was lost in a haze of passion and contentment.
Jonah couldn’t believe how wonderful to was to make love with her. She was perfect in every way. Pulling her closer, he kissed her forehead. “That was amazing. How are you feeling? I hope I wasn’t too rough. I couldn’t hold back. You felt so good.”
“I’m fine. You were wonderful. I think I forgot to breathe there for a moment. But what does this mean for us? I hope you know that I’m not expecting a relationship. This was just a moment of comfort. I was very upset and one thing led to another.” Betsie felt the need to clarify things so that he didn’t feel obligated to her, although her words were lies. Having been raised to wait for the right guy, Jonah was the one for her and all she wanted was a lifetime with him. However, she wasn’t going to force the issue. I love him so much that I gave him this gift but I’m too afraid to admit my feelings. I don’t want to force him to love me.
“No that wasn’t it at all. I’ve had feelings for you for a while but hadn’t acted on them. Since the moment that I saw you wrapped in that gray wool blanket, my heart has been yours. I’m in love with you, the way you smile and your eyes light up, especially when joking around and your caring heart. I’d like to hope that you feel the same way. I’d like nothing more than to have you in my life for a long time.
Betsie didn’t know what to say. Jonah’s words echoed how she’d been feeling to but was afraid to say it. “Oh Jonah, I’ve been in love with you since you rode to my rescue that first night after the murder and took charge of me. I’d love nothing more than to be a part of your life.” She said with tears in her eyes.
“First though we need to catch the person who’s been threatening you. As I said, I’ll check with my captain and take the photos into the station tomorrow. Hopefully we can end this thing soon. Let’s curl up under the covers and snuggle for a while. I’d love nothing more than to sleep for a bit with you in my arms.”
Chapter Eight
Wednesday morning, Jonah and his brothers held a secret meeting about what was going on. They didn’t want to upset Betsie and wanted to keep her protected.
Luke’s face was livid about the photographs and vowed that no one had been close to the house. “They must have been taken with a high-powered camera. I don’t like that someone was nosing around here though. I’m going to keep a closer eye on things, maybe even set up some perimeter alarms so that if someone does get close, we will know about it.”
“I’m already sitting outside her office all day but I’ve not noticed anyone lurking. But since some of the photos were of inside her office, my guess is that they had someone inside taking them.” Marcus declared.
“That’s what we think too. In fact, Betsie witnessed something going down between her boss and another man. We think this may be the reason she is being targeted. The person thinks she knows too m
uch. On a different note, Betsie and I are in love.”
“Finally,” both brothers said at once.
“Congrats, we knew it all along,” stated Marcus.
“She’s a great girl. We want you to be happy. But we need to get this guy first,” replied Luke.
“We will. I’m heading into the station to talk to the captain. I’ll see you later tonight. Take care of her for me.”.
****
Jonah walked into the captain’s office with the envelope full of the threatening photos.
“Captain Monari, do you remember that murder case I’ve been working, Johnny Bott from Anderson Trucking? Well, I think the situation is bigger than we thought. Miss Betsie Wolfe who was the young woman who found the body has just received these threatening photographs and was almost run over by a car matching the description of the car seen on the night of the murder.”
“Detective Pigg, we in conjunction with a federal task force have had Anderson Trucking under suspicion for a while for drug running and money laundering, but murder? It sounds like you are onto something. What else you got?”
“Miss Wolfe also overheard a conversation one night between Mr. Anderson and another man talking about drugs. It wasn’t a friendly conversation and threats were exchanged. This conversation happened just days before Mr. Bott’s murder. I believe they’re all connected. I’ve asked Miss Wolfe to come in and file a statement, but I don’t think we have enough evidence to bring Mr. Anderson in on any charges yet.” Jonah expressed.
“Let the guys in the lab take a look at the photographs and envelope to see if they can find any evidence that will link Anderson Trucking to it. I understand that you have Miss Wolfe staying at your house for her protection. Let’s see if someone makes another play at her. Maybe we’ll get lucky can catch them in the act. Keep me updated.”
With that, Jonah was dismissed. He hoped that it wouldn’t come to someone trying to harm Betsie again. He didn’t think he could handle it if anything happened to her, especially since they’d just begun to plan for their future.
