Morgan, Nicole - Sweet Salvation [Sweet Awakenings 2] (Siren Publishing Allure)

by Nicole Morgan

  “Rex, answer me, damn it. What’s going on? Did you get someone pregnant or something? Is she making you marry her?”

  Rex laughed. “Trust me, man. I didn’t get anyone pregnant. Aside from always wearing protection, it’s been awhile. And I’m pretty sure I’d have to actually have sex with someone for that to happen.”

  “Yeah, right, like you’re not having sex. Tamara and I are newlyweds and you’re still probably getting more than I am.”

  “Yeah, well, I’m not, all right! I’m not having sex at all! I haven’t in over a month. I spend all of my free time with Shelby. So just lay the hell off!” Rex winced at the feeling in his head caused from yelling at Jack. He already wasn’t a morning person. But damn if this hangover wasn’t one for the record books.

  “Geez, man, what’s your problem? Do you have PMS, too?” Jack laughed. There was no way Rex wasn’t having sex just so he could spend time with Shelby. He was a regular Don Juan.

  “Very freaking funny, asshole!” Ouch, damn it. Stop yelling, Rex. Your damn head hurts.

  “All right, sorry. Look, what’s going on, and why are you in Vegas?”

  Rex took a steadying breath. “I don’t know, man. I messed up. I messed up bad. I came to Vegas to get drunk and get laid. But damn it if every damn woman in this town is unappealing.”

  What the hell was going on here? Jack looked around the office to make sure all of his surroundings were as they should be. Could he be in an alternate universe? In the twilight zone, perhaps. He had never heard the words “woman” and “unappealing” in the same sentence from Rex. Rex liked all women, hell, he loved all women. All shapes, all sizes, he adored and worshiped their bodies. “All right, relax. What did you do?”

  “Oh, hell, Jack. I freaking kissed Shelby. I mean kissed, man. I kissed her and wanted her so bad I thought I was going to die from it.” There, he’d said it. He knew he really hadn’t called Jack just to cancel their racquetball game. He called to talk to Jack and figure out what the hell he should do next. He sure as heck didn’t know. He couldn’t stop thinking about Shelby. Every damn woman last night had her face. Every cocktail waitress, every party girl, every single damn stripper, they all had Shelby’s face.

  Jack sat there, stunned. He always wondered if there was a secret attraction between those two. But Rex sounded really torn up. “Okay, so you kissed her. Then what happened?”

  “What the hell do you think happened? I freaking apologized. Told her how sorry I was and hightailed it out of her place. When I tried to call her yesterday to, you know, make sure we were okay, she wouldn’t even answer my call. I left her a message. I told her it wouldn’t happen again, and I told her I was sorry. Oh, damn it! I wish I meant that part, but I don’t. If I had the chance to do it again, I don’t think I would have left. What the hell’s wrong with me?”

  “Rex, I know you care about Shelby. But is there more than friendship? Do you have real feelings for her?”

  “Shit. I don’t know. I really, really don’t. I never used to think so. Now, suddenly, in the past several weeks, it’s like everything has changed. And now I can’t stop thinking about that kiss. It blew my mind.” Rex closed his eyes on the memory of it.

  “No offense, man, but I think you already know how you feel. That or you’re too stupid to realize it.”

  “I don’t know what the hell I feel. This isn’t me. I don’t have feelings. I meet a hot chick, I take her to my place, and we go at it. It’s simple, no strings, no one gets hurt. But damn, I can’t even find the desire to do that. I don’t know what the hell is going on with me.”

  “Really, is that so? Then why is it that you spend all of your time with Shelby and as you have just admitted, you haven’t slept with a woman in several weeks,” Jack replied rather smugly. He was quite enjoying the thought of Rex suffering a little. Lord knows Rex got a kick out of it when he was going through the same thing with Tamara.

  “That, my friend, is the $64,000 question. It’s like, for some reason, all those other women don’t interest me anymore. I always had more fun hanging out with Shelby anyway. And then I went and kissed her. Now, she’s not just my best bud. Now, she’s a beautiful, soft, and sexy woman that I want to –.”

  “All right, enough. I think I get the point. Look, you know if you really have feelings for her you’ll have to take it slow and easy. You know what she’s been through, man. But if it’s any consolation, I think you two would be great together.”

  “Yeah, well, who the hell asked you anyway? You’ve been no help whatsoever!” Rex hung up the phone.

  Jack placed the receiver down on its cradle and leaned back in his chair. Smiling, he glanced at the calendar on the wall. By Colleen and Cullen Bristow’s timetable, Rex was supposed to be head over heels in love with Shelby by the first part of next year. Laughing, he realized that maybe things were moving just a bit ahead of schedule.

  That night, Shelby was staring in her closet and wondering what she should wear for her date with Mitch. She wasn’t even in the mood to go now. The truth is she had really talked herself into it. She waited all day for a phone call from Rex. She tried his cell phone several times, and it still was going straight to voice mail. She hated this empty feeling. She had hoped that when she got home from work there might be a message on her home machine, but there wasn’t. Deciding on something dressy but casual, she opted for a mid-length, flowing summer dress. Even though it was August and approaching fall, it was still hot outside.

  As she was changing, she had the strangest feeling come over her. She couldn’t quite place it. It was almost as if the hairs on the back of her neck had stood straight up. She finished getting her dress on and walked to her bedroom window. She pulled the curtain aside and looked down to the courtyard below. She was scanning the area when she noticed a person’s foot standing just in the shadows of the gazebo below her condo. It gave her a chill. She couldn’t say why. It was a courtyard for use by all tenants, but something was giving her the creeps.

  She pulled the curtain back to its position and decided to go to the French doors leading out to her balcony. She knew from that location she would be able to see the gazebo better. Walking out, she bent down a little to get a better view and realized there was no one standing there. Huh? She turned to walk back inside when she saw him. He looked at her for only a second and then walked down the sidewalk out to the main parking lot. He was wearing a dark zip-up jacket and a dark baseball cap.

  She remembered the man standing outside the coffee shop from a couple of nights ago with Rex. Could it be the same guy? Snap out of it, Shelby. What did Samantha tell you in your therapy sessions? Not everyone is a bad guy. You have to trust people sometimes. And she was right. Shelby knew she was. She just still had residual fear from what Brent had done to her, that’s all. She jumped at the sound of her doorbell.

  Answering the door, she tried to calm her nerves. She hadn’t been on a date in probably close to a year. She opened the door and was surprised to see Mitch standing there looking handsome in a suit and tie, holding a bouquet of red roses. “Mitch, hi. Those are beautiful. Please come in.”

  Mitch walked in. “You look great. Are you ready to go? Should we put these in water before we do? Oh, do you like Chinese? I hope it’s okay, if not, we could always –”

  Shelby interrupted him, for his own sake as much as her own. “Mitch, Chinese is fine. Just give me a minute to lock up and grab my purse. Would you mind taking those to the kitchen? There’s a vase under the sink. It’s just right around the corner there.” She was walking down the hall as she was giving him instructions.

  Mitch went to the kitchen, and fumbling with the vase, he finally managed to get some water in it and put the roses in. It was obvious how nervous he was.

  “Are you ready?” She stood in the kitchen doorway, smiling at him.

  “Yes, let’s go. Did I already tell you that you look great?”

  She laughed. “Yes, I believe you mentioned that.”

 
At the restaurant, Mitch finally started to relax. The conversation was a struggle at times because they both realized they really didn’t know that much about the other. But, it was still a fine time. Shelby had to scold herself each time her thoughts went to Rex. She went on this date to try and forget about their kiss. And there she sat across from Mitch imagining the feel of Rex’s mouth against hers. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair to her, to Rex, and especially to Mitch.

  “You’ve been kind of quiet ever since we left the restaurant. Is everything okay?” Mitch was just starting to feel comfortable and then she became distant.

  “No, I mean, yes, everything is fine. I guess I’m more tired than I thought. But, I had a really good time. Thank you.”

  “I’m glad. I did, too. Well, we’re here. Let me walk you up.”

  Walking up the stairs to her condo with Mitch’s hand on the small of her back, she was wondering if she was supposed to ask him in. The truth was she didn’t really want to. But would that be the polite thing to do? When they reached the top of the stairs, she decided against it.

  “Well, thank you, Mitch. I had a really nice time.” Shelby smiled. Was she going to have to kiss him goodnight?

  “Thanks, I’m glad you did. I did, too. Could we go out again sometime? Maybe this weekend?”

  He looked at her, so cute and with such hope. She didn’t have the heart to say no. “Sure, I’d love to.”

  “Great, I’ll call you tomorrow so we can make plans. Well, have a nice night.” Mitch leaned in to kiss her.

  His mouth almost met hers when she casually dug in her purse for her keys. She didn’t want to hurt his feelings, but she wasn’t ready for the good night kiss portion of dating yet. She knew it was silly, but she was still wary of men. It wasn’t Mitch’s fault. It was just that, more often than not, her emotional scars were simply closer to the surface than she let on. Mitch took the hint with grace, and she was grateful for that. He waved good night and proceeded down the stairs after she was safely inside. Closing the door, she locked it and set her purse down on the entryway table that she kept next to the front door. She was startled to hear her purse drop to the floor.

  Chapter Five

  Shelby looked down and was surprised to see her entryway table had fallen over. Bending over to right the table back in its upright position, she made a sweeping glance of the front room. Huh? That was strange. She wondered what could have happened. Shrugging it off, she decided that maybe she might have knocked it over when she headed out earlier. She kicked off her shoes and headed back to her bedroom.

  Walking toward her closet, she eyed something in the corner of the room. She turned to look and jumped when she realized what she had seen. The curtains were blowing in the wind. Her window was open. She never left anything open when she was gone. She hadn’t even remembered opening it today. Without turning her head, she stood still and quietly and listened for any sounds. Could someone be in her apartment? Did they break in and now they’re still here? Oh, God! Memories of the night with Brent came flashing back to her. She had to get out of here and fast. Without taking a second more to think about it, she ran for her front door as fast as she could. She quickly unlocked it as she reached for her purse and ran down the stairs. She panicked. She wasn’t sure where to go. Trying to clear her thoughts, she took a moment to try and remember some of the things that Rex had taught her. Then she remembered. Get somewhere safe and lock your doors. She got in her car, locked the doors, and then called 911.

  After calling 911 and being assured that an officer was on the way, she did the only thing that came natural to her. She called Rex. After trying his home and cell with no luck, she was furious with him for being unavailable. She knew deep down that she depended on him too much. But damn it, right now she really needed him. She saw the patrol car pull into her parking lot. Just as the 911 operator instructed her to do, she got out of her car and waited in front of her vehicle for the officers to approach her. She was sure to place her hands directly at her sides and made sure she was holding nothing. Another thing Rex had taught her. The police are there to protect you. But they have to protect themselves, too. Make sure you don’t look threatening when they approach you. It only wastes precious time. Time you might not have enough of. As the officers got out of their vehicle, she waited patiently for them to approach her.

  “Shelby? Shelby, is that you?” the taller officer who had gotten out of the driver’s side called out.

  “Yes, I’m Shelby. I called because I–” Then she saw his face, which had momentarily been shadowed by the headlights behind him. “Andrew. Oh, thank God, it’s you. I’ve been totally freaked out.”

  Andrew Dollaghan, one of the officers involved in arresting Brent after he raped her, was approaching her now. And coming up behind him was his shorter but very sweet partner, Cullen Bristow, Jr. They had all become fast friends in the past months. In the crazy scheme of life, it had turned out that Cullen’s father sold Jack Tamara’s engagement ring. He and his wife Colleen were the closest thing to parents that Jack, Tamara, and Shelby had in their life. Rex, of course, wasn’t included in that declaration because the two people drove him crazy with their constant predictions about him falling in love and getting married. She almost laughed at the thought of Rex falling in love, when she remembered why she called them there in the first place.

  “Shelby, what happened?” Cullen Jr. asked her.

  “I came home and my entryway table was knocked over. I didn’t think anything of it. But then I got to my room and –” She had to steady her nerves because she was talking so fast that she could barely breathe.

  “Shelby, it’s okay. Here, you wait in our car. We’ll be right back, okay?” Andrew told her.

  She nodded in agreement as they ushered her into the backseat of their patrol car. Watching them head upstairs, she wished she hadn’t left her purse in her car. She wanted to try Rex again. Maybe if she left him a message, he would call her back. Maybe he would stop avoiding her. She didn’t care what it took. She just needed him.

  Minutes later, she saw Andrew and Cullen heading back down the stairs. Andrew was talking on his radio as Cullen opened the door for her to come out. She waited for Andrew to finish.

  “Okay, Shelby. You were right. It looks like somebody broke into your place while you were gone,” Andrew stated rather morosely.

  “How? How did they get to that window? I’m on the top floor, and there’s no balcony there.” She was rubbing her hands up and down her arms in a hugging fashion. She was shivering, but she wasn’t cold.

  Cullen placed a comforting arm around her and tried to calm her nerves. “It’s hard to say with these kids these days. They could have taken a ladder or anything. Your bedroom window is kind of blocked from all those trees in the courtyard. Heck, they could have even climbed a tree to get up there.”

  “Kids. Why do you think it was kids?”

  “Because the jar on your kitchen counter, you know, the one that says ‘Mad Money’, is knocked over and is completely cleared out. They didn’t even leave a penny in there. It was probably just kids looking for some beer money or, worse, drug money. Either way, they’re long gone now,” Andrew said, trying to reassure her. He saw the condition she was in after her brutal attack by Brent. If there was ever a woman who had a right to be scared, it was Shelby Moore.

  “They took all of it? I had over one hundred dollars in there. Every time I had an extra few dollars, I stuck it in there. I was saving up for a really nice gift for Rex. His birthday is coming up next month.” She cringed at the thought of all that money being gone. Now she was going to have to charge his gift. She always hated using her credit cards. She liked to save them for emergencies only. Oh, well, that’s what she got. How many times had Rex told her not to keep cash in that jar? Only about a gazillion times by her estimation. She could just hear him now. “I told you so, Shelby.”

  “Listen, why don’t you let us drive you over to Rex’s place? Why isn’t he here anyway?
Hell, I’m surprised he didn’t pass us on the way over here,” Cullen asked her.

  “Rex is, ah, he’s out of town.” Was he? She wasn’t exactly sure where he was.

  “Oh, well, let’s take you over to Jack and Tamara’s house. I’m sure they won’t be back. They got what they wanted. But there is no way you’re going to be able to relax and get a good night’s rest tonight if you’re all alone.”

  “Cullen’s right, Shelby. Let’s go upstairs and pack you a bag. I’ll call Jack and give him a heads-up. Knowing those two, they’re probably having sex in the hot tub out back. I’d hate to have to arrest them for indecent exposure.” Andrew’s comment had them all laughing.

  She hated that they were right, but they were. There was no way she would be able to sleep tonight if she was alone in there. Whenever she got scared in the past, she would turn to Rex. But he wasn’t taking her calls. Maybe that was for the best. She was obviously too dependent on him if she couldn’t deal with a simple robbery by some teenagers without having to turn to him for emotional support. Actually, maybe Rex avoiding her was the best thing after all. Maybe she would be forced to become independent. Yes, it’s time she took the next step in her healing. No more turning to other people. Grow up, Shelby!

  “Actually, I think I’ll stay.” Raising her hands to silence them both before they could protest, she continued. “I think it will be good for me. I need to start taking care of myself sometime. I swear I’ll be fine. Just come up with me, check all the nooks and crannies, and I’ll feel better.”

  They both looked at her, obviously unsure of whether or not to agree. They knew they couldn’t force her to go with them. But they both remembered the horror of her battered, bruised, and bloody body when she was found in Tamara’s apartment just six months ago. She was hanging on for dear life. And they both knew the physical scars were nothing compared to the emotional ones she had been battling.