by C. M. Steele
No, I would never be them. Not ever. This baby would be loved like a child should be. I had to get a move on before I was late for my appointment with the physical therapist.
I walked out of the bathroom leaving the test on the sink and headed to my front door. I was almost there when I noticed an envelope had been slipped through the crack. I opened the door to see if I could find the one who left it, but they were long gone.
I hoped that creep didn't just send me dick pics. I’d seen that on the news the other day. People were strange sometimes. Thankfully, I didn’t run into Jeffers again. I still hadn't told Dex about him, and I didn’t want to.
The label said, "For your eyes only."
I pulled the fastener and took out the contents. After reading the papers, I wished it had been dick pics. I dropped the file on the floor; paper scattering everywhere.
How, why?
My world crashed down around me. Everything was a lie.
~~~~~
When I got to the therapy center, she wasn’t there. I asked about her and the receptionist said she never showed for her appointment and didn’t call to cancel it. I went looking for her everywhere. My place was empty and there was no note or anything. I called her phone like thirty times trying to get a hold of her. Panic crawled up my skin. She was missing.
"Tell me, Bill. When did Elena leave?" I asked him frantically. My heart was in my throat hoping maybe she said where she was going.
"It was almost an hour earlier than the usual time she left."
“Did she get into a taxi or anything?”
"No. She took off walking and made a right." He pointed toward the front doors.
Then it dawned on me...her condo.
I rushed over there just as Cole got out of his car. She wasn't with him. He was lucky for that one.
"Hey, Price, what gives? You look wild, man."
"I'm looking for Elena. She missed her appointment and isn't answering her phone."
"Sorry, just got back. Let me know if you need anything."
I hurried into the building and up to her floor.
"What the fuck?" There was a man exiting her apartment. His eyes bugged out when he saw me. I saw red and moved toward him, but he dashed into his apartment next door before I could bust his skull in. I couldn't believe she would be cheating on me.
"Hey, you little fuck! I'm going to kill you," I roared through the door, pounding on it.
I walked back to her apartment because I needed answers. She’d just destroyed my world and I wanted to know why.
I unlocked the door with my copy of her key and there on the sofa lie Elena, fully clothed, tear stains on her cheeks, and a stack of papers on the coffee table. I read the note on top. He couldn't stay away; now you will.
It was in my uncle's writing—the fucking son of a bitch. He was going to pay... someway, somehow. I dropped to my knees. I knew why she betrayed me...she found out.
I made a call to an acquaintance and asked for a favor.
~~~~~
I woke up from my cryfest turned sleepy time to see Dexter on the floor kneeling before me. He was asleep with his hand in mine and his head in my lap. I was so pissed at him, but I still loved him. I'm so confused.
I continued to stare at him without moving. His hair was disheveled and he looked worn out. He didn’t have his usual suit jacket on; instead, he was just in his dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up. I had to look away because he held a spell over me and I couldn't think straight when I saw him.
I looked at the clock on the mantel and it was almost ten at night. On the coffee table was the packet that started it all. He’d picked up the papers and read them apparently.
"You're up," he whispered, a bit of sadness etched in those words. He knew about the file. My question had to be for how long. Did he seduce me to prevent me from saying something when the truth came out? Just thinking about our time together, I knew that wasn’t true. No, his affection and love were felt every minute of every day.
"I don't know what to say, Dex."
"Just don't leave me, please. I'll do whatever I can to make it right, but I can't lose you."
"How long have you known the truth?" I wanted honesty.
He sat up on the sofa next to me and took a deep breath. "Since the first..."
"What? Oh, my God! I can't believe you!" I screeched trying to jump off the couch, but he stopped me with his hands on my thighs. "You still took my virginity."
"Elena, you're not listening. I didn't know since the first time we met, but from the first time you left me. I wanted to tell you but you had already said you wanted a break, and I couldn't risk losing you. You had to have hated my family and me for what happened." He was afraid I’d hate him for his parents’ error in judgment. That was nuts. If anything, I would feel relief that it wasn’t my father. I hated his father without a doubt, but not Dex. Never, Dex.
"Them? Yes. You? No. You were a kid when our lives were torn apart. You keeping this from me is what hurts more than you could ever imagine. My whole life has been based on a lie. I’ve hated my father without any reason. He has been ostracized, and what’s worse is I’ve felt that way about him too. Then you kept it from me. You could have told me; instead, I had to find out this way.”
“I’m sorry, Elena. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. Since you came into my life, the pain of that night has started to fade. You’ve healed the cracks, and I was afraid to lose you.”
“I don’t want to lose you either,” I admitted. “But I can’t live with doubt. I need to trust you, and so far, you’re making it really hard to do.”
“Damn it, Elena. We need to talk about this.”
“What do you want me to say? Your dad was to blame for the accident. That he was the drunk, and that your family’s wealth bought a lifetime of lies and deceit. God, I’m so disgusted with the fund. I wasn’t supposed to mention where it came from or I’d lose it, but I don’t care. It’s hush money. Money given to me as a way of trying to hide the truth. I need to give it all back and sell this place. I’ll find an apartment somewhere and get a job.”
“You already have a place to live…with me. I’m not above begging, pleading, or at this point kidnapping you. I couldn’t look any worse in your eyes.”
“Dex, you look wonderful, but this is a big deal. I feel grossed out, violated, and manipulated. All this time he was innocent. Your uncle covered it up attaching a nice check as a bow.”
“I should have looked into it from the start. When I saw the Collins Fund on the documents for me to sign, my uncle informed me that it was a deal made before my dad died. I didn’t know it was a cover up.”
He pulled me into his arms, and I didn’t push away. I needed his love. When I laid there thinking about the truth, I knew I couldn’t hate Dex for it. The fact that he only knew about it since the day I walked out was what saved me from leaving. I never told him about the neighbor and that it had happened the same day because I was afraid of his reaction as well.
“Are there any more hidden secrets? I didn’t read the full thing because I was too distraught and tossed them on the floor.”
“They were all nicely stacked here just like this.”
“Don’t play with me. I might be confused and hurt, but I’m not crazy. These papers were over by the door. When I saw them on the table, I thought you had picked them up.”
“What about when that guy stopped by? Who was he?”
“What guy? There’s been only you and me in this place.” I didn’t have a clue what he was talking about. I assumed it was jealousy rearing its ugly head.
“I chased the motherfucker down the hall when I saw him coming out of your place. I thought you two were fucking.”
I jumped up panicking. Maybe he saw someone by my door. I can’t imagine someone would be inside without me knowing. “That can’t be. No one was here.”
“The guy ran into the condo next to you.”
“Oh, no. We’ve got to call the police.�
�� I freaked out. He had gotten into my place. Shit, I should have told Dexter or the building manager about Jeffers.
“Yes, we do, but first, I need to make another call.” He stood up and paced the room. He started talking to the guy on the other end but then hung up.
“Who did you call?”
“A friend who I asked to get me information on this guy next door. Reggie Jeffers is the son of a politician and a drug addict, but that was all he had at the moment. Either he was here to hurt you and somehow knew I was coming up, or he was trying to rob you. He is obviously dangerous.” I nodded because he was right. The man scared me when he was spying on me.
He dialed the cops next. “We had a break-in in my fiancée’s condo.” He rattled off the address and his name. He owned and dominated most of the town, so his name was known. Plus, I lived in one of the most expensive buildings in the district. It wouldn’t take them long to get here.
“Elena, let’s sit here and not touch anything but each other.” He leaned down and took my mouth softly. I could tell he was testing his limits with me. He didn’t know how far I’d let him go, but I needed more. I pressed my body onto his, pushing him against the sofa where I mounted him. Our kiss intensified; Dex tugged on my hair and my ass. I was panting and moaning, trying to grind on his cock. Then the doorbell rang. The police were here.
~~~~~
We walked to the door, my hand in hers tugging her behind me. When I opened it, I was staring down the barrel of a forty-five.
"Get in." He pressed the gun to my head so we backed up into the room.
It was the bastard from next door. He pushed off my head with the gun, making me stumble to the floor.
"Get up, Price." With his glazed eyes, I knew he was stoned.
"Why are you doing this? I don't want you." She told him, and I wondered what had transpired that she hadn’t mentioned.
He wasn’t steady with the weapon. Jeffers didn’t point the gun at her, but he took it off me as he snarled at her. "Sweetheart, I don't want you either. You were just a way to get to him." He pointed the gun towards me again. It was clear he wasn’t as prepared to go through with this as he claimed.
"But why?" she asked pleadingly. I saw the fear in her lovely eyes which infuriated me even more than I already was. I needed to protect her at all costs.
"Because his uncle paid me a lot of money to get rid of him. So what's going to happen is you're going shoot him and then kill yourself." While he babbled on with her, I was thinking of a way to get us out of there. Then I’d get a hold of my uncle and crush him.
"What makes you think that's going to work?" Elena asked nervously.
“It really doesn’t matter if it does. I’m going to blow his brains out, then you’re next.” He was shaky, and that could be really bad or really good. If he were spooked, he could snap and pull the trigger, but if I had a chance, I could take him down. I wasn’t in the gym for nothing and had no bodyguards.
I tried to calm Elena down by whispering I loved her, but I could see her shaking. That was when I noticed she was leaning against the intercom button to speak. Whoever was at the front desk was hearing everything that was going on. Let's hope they had a plan before this nut shot me. I just needed the right angle and I could rush him. I was finally getting my happiness despite a life built on a lie and a woman hell bent on trying to leave me.
"Listen. Can't we work something out? I have more money than my uncle could ever dream of. I could give you more than he's offering you."
"You'd pay to get out of trouble just like all of your family." His disdain for my family, me included, had been clear.
"What makes you hate them so much?" Elena asked him, trying to keep him talking. Good girl. He lowered his gun slightly, giving me the opening I needed.
I made a slow movement in hopes he would think I was trying to get closer to her, which he bought. Then I lunged at him, gripping him from around the waist. He still got off a round but underestimated my strength and the power of kickback. He dropped the gun as he crashed to the ground hitting his head on the corner trim of the wall.
Just then, the police busted through the door. I was sinking my fist into the bastard’s face for the third time when three officers pulled me off of him.
“Dexter, calm down. He’s out cold.”
“He should be dead,” I gritted through my teeth, fear and adrenaline still running wild.
“Then we should have come in a minute later,” one officer remarked.
“Yes. But if you don’t get a hold of my uncle before I do, he will be dead.”
“We’ve already sent someone to pick him up. We’re pretty sure we can get this piece of shit to testify against him.”
“Thanks,” I said taking Elena in my arms.
“Oh no, where’s Bruno?”
“I don’t know. You sit here and I’ll go look for him.” I went into her room and heard some scratching. I thought he was in the bathroom so I opened the door, but he wasn’t in there. I was about to walk out when something on the sink caught my eye. I picked it up and smiled like a madman.
The scratching continued—he was in the closet. Opening it, Bruno ran out of the room. I walked back into the living room and there he was in Elena’s arms.
Chapter 7
We were back where we belonged—our home. It was late, and I knew that nothing was going to be resolved tonight. Sleep was more important. I carried her back to bed and we laid there all night. Her body wrapped around mine, tense and shaking.
“I’m sorry, Elena. I’m right here. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”
“You could have died,” she sobbed out, crying against my chest. I knew then that I hadn’t lost her completely. If she were angry with me, I could handle that, but leaving me would be crushing. I just laid there in bed through the night, unable to fall asleep. My mind had been wandering to life with my uncle. In the several years that I’d lived with him, I never felt any true affection from him. If my father hadn’t been to blame for the accident, I might have thought my uncle had a hand in it.
He received some of my inheritance to look after me all those years and that I couldn’t complain about, or I would have been shuffled off somewhere else and my father’s company disbanded and sold. My mind swirled around with possible reasons for his need to have me killed. Besides claiming my inheritance, there was nothing else. Although, he had no idea that my money went to Kim and her family as well as several charitable organizations unless I had a wife and or child. Both of which would be happening in the very near future. I could have lost both of them today. Damn.
Fuck! I jumped out of bed and stared out the window looking for answers. Rage and pain struck me hard. Since she and I got together, I hadn’t had a sleepless night. That all changed now. I didn’t know how long I’d been staring out the window before I felt her slender arms around my waist, her hands on my chest with her head against my spine.
“Do you want to talk about it right now?” she murmured against my back.
I turned around to face her. “Which it?” We had so much to talk about, so much I needed to make up for.
Elena pressed her hands against my cheeks making me look her in the eyes. “We can’t change what happened that night of the accident. It wasn’t either of our faults, but I can’t stop loving you because the perpetrator changed sides. While I watched Jeffers with that gun on you, I wanted to die in your place. For as hurt as I was that you hid the truth from me, I understand now why you didn’t want to tell me. You didn’t want to lose me. But don’t ever lie to me again. You understand?”
“Never again,” I agreed.
“Your uncle. How are you handling it?”
“Truthfully, I should have seen something like this coming. I need to tell you something about that night on the road. It was my fault we were there, and I don’t think my uncle ever forgave me for losing his brother.”
“How could it be your fault? You weren’t the driver, and they were the adults.”
“It wasn’t until I saw the real report that that night flashed through my head. I’d gotten in trouble earlier for asking my father too many questions about what he was drinking. I knew better not to disturb him, but I did it anyway. Well, as punishment, he made me drink a glass of the vodka he poured. I remember it burning my insides. Then he threatened me about learning my place and to never question him again. I got sick later on that night and started burning up with a high fever and the chills. The nanny came in the room and could smell the alcohol through my pores and told my mother something. It was then that the same memory starts. My mother is yelling at him to take me to the hospital, but I keep blacking out and would wake up dazed. The last time it happened was when he crashed.”
“That wasn’t your fault for shit. Your father was a total bastard.”
“Yes, he was. I think I blocked that memory from my head because I wanted to remember the successful man he was. Not the man who made me feel like a waste of space.”
“I’m sorry, Dex. A parent should never punish a child like that. It was criminal, and you getting sick wasn’t your doing. Your mother stepped up to the plate and made him do the right thing even if it was a little too late. Damn. I thought my childhood sucked, but my foster parents were never mean to me; poor, but never mean.”
“It’s okay because I would go through it all over again just to be with you. I’m sorry you lost your father.”
“See, being my hero and saying shit like that is what keeps me from being mad at you.”
“So, do you forgive me wholeheartedly?” The need for redemption and forgiveness was choking me.
“Yes. I do.” I closed my eyes as relief washed over me.
“Good, then I think some makeup sex is in order.” I took off her tee shirt and panties, slipped off my boxers, then flipped her and pressed her breasts against the cool glass. I was certain her nipples pebbled from the touch. No one could see through the windows, so I decided to take her this way. Feeling riled up from an adrenaline-filled day, I was ready to come hard and fast.
“Wow, this is high up,” she whispered with a tinge of fear in her throat.
