I stand up and the room starts to spin. I look down on the ground at the puddle of my own blood. That can't be good. Have I lost too much?
I must power through. I march straight toward them, wobbling here and there from the dizziness. I grab ahold of her arm and throw her off him.
"AAAAHHHH," all three of us scream simultaneously as she falls to the ground and gets impaled by a loose floorboard that was bent and sticking upward. I watch as the life drains from her body. She's dead! I killed her! I am a murderer!
Chapter Twenty-Five
Aaron
The cops arrive forty minutes after I called them. Thanks for rushing over. Not!
They take statements from both of us before the paramedics take Nicole and me into the ambulance. I watch as they apply pressure to the wound on her back. I can't help but feel responsible. This was all my fault, after all.
Never in a million years did I expect that crazy bitch I fucked right before I met Nicole to turn into a crazy kidnapping bitch. Her name was Kimberly, or Katrina, or something that starts with a K. Or I guess a C. I still don't remember it. And it doesn't matter. Whatever her name was, she’s dead now.
I saw the terrified look on Nicole's face as it happened. She is going to blame herself for this, I just know it. The guilt churns in my stomach. I can't let her do that. She has to see that this is all my fault, not hers. She must see that she did what she had to do to protect herself, and eventually, me.
The memory of her laying in a pool of her own blood will haunt me for the rest of my life. There is no forgetting that. She was about to pay the ultimate price for my sins…not hers. I shudder at the thought of what could have been. I could have lost her forever.
My phone keeps vibrating in my pocket, but I ignore it. She deserves my full attention right now. And dammit, she is going to get it no matter what.
As we arrive at the hospital, they wheel her into the emergency room. I try to follow her in, but they won't let me in. Fuck. I feel so fucking useless as I just sit in a chair in the waiting room, twiddling my thumbs. Since Nicole and I are no longer in the same room, I decide to check my phone. Four missed calls and three text messages. I dial Delores' number and wait for her to answer.
"Is everybody alright?"
"Yes, Delores. We are both fine. She has a few cuts and a gash on her back so we’re at Lenox Hill. I just can't help but blame myself. This is all my frickin’ fault."
"No, no, sweetie. Don't do that. You cannot blame yourself for the actions of one crazy-ass bitch. Don't look back, only look forward. You must look forward."
I rake my hand through my hair and let out a long exasperated sigh. One of the surgeons comes out of the emergency room and starts to head toward me.
"I gotta go, Delores." I hang up the phone and slide it back into my pocket.
"Is she alright?" He nods.
"She’ll be fine. The gash on her back wasn't deep enough to do any serious damage. Both that and the slit on her hand have been stitched up. She lost a lot of blood, so we are going to keep her overnight on an IV as a precaution. She will most likely be released tomorrow morning."
"Can I see her now?" He nods.
"Room three-thirty-four."
"Thank you, Doc."
I speed-walk down the corridor leading up to her room. I knock on the door before I open it, letting her know to expect company. My heart sinks deeper into my chest as I see her lying in a hospital bed. She seems so fragile and weak…both of which, she is not. Nor has she probably ever been classified as either.
I walk deeper into the room and sit on the edge of the bed. I can't help but notice the saddened expression on her face. The beautiful canvas is stained with tears and burdened by troublesome thoughts. Those succulent lips that I have selfishly ravaged time and time again, sink into a frown. I hate seeing her like this. And I hate it even more knowing that she is blaming herself.
I slide the back of my hand gently against her face.
"It's all over now. We’re both fine." She shakes her head.
"I’m not fine. I’m a murderer." Just where I thought she was going to take this conversation. Luckily for me, I’m prepared for this. I shake my head.
"No, you’re not. You are a survivor. For fuck's sake, you ripped a glass shard out of your back to cut the cable that was wrapped around your ankles. You did what you had to do to survive. We both know that bitch never intended to let you walk out of there alive. She was going to kill you. All you did was throw her off me. The loose floorboard did the murdering. You can't blame yourself for something that wasn't in your control." She still shakes her head. I sigh, place my hands on both of her shoulders, and continue my argument.
"Babe, listen to me. You could have taken that glass shard that was in your hand and shoved it into her heart, her eye, wherever you pleased. But you didn't. Instead, you chose to save me from my misery. You ripped her off me. That is all you are guilty of. It is not your fault that she was poorly coordinated and tripped over her own feet. So, stop being so damn hard on yourself all the time. You made the best of a very bad situation."
I start to get choked up on my own words as the memories come back to me. I almost lost her. Tears start to fall from my eyes, but I don't stop them. Instead, I embrace them. Let them sting. Let them fall. Let them remind me that the best damn woman in the whole fucking world is lying right in front of me. And I selfishly let her go. But I won't ever make that mistake again.
"You are the strongest woman I have ever met. You are also stubborn, compassionate, intelligent, amiable, ambitious, persistent, adventurous, courageous, and passionate. And those are only a few of the many reasons that I love you. I love you, Parker."
Her gorgeous brown eyes look up at me. I can see the delightful gleam that shines in them. My heart skips a beat knowing that my words put it there.
"I love you too. But that doesn't change anything." And there is that stubbornness I have grown so fond of.
"I know. I'll take care of everything else. You just get better." She furrows her brow and bites her lip.
"How?" I flash her my smirk plus dimples combo.
"Leave the dirty details to me. All you need to do is trust me. Do you?" She nods.
"With my life. If that wasn't clear earlier."
I lean down toward her and bestow a chaste and innocent kiss upon her lips.
"It was. Now, get some rest. I'll step just outside the door and make a few phone calls. When I'm done, I’ll be right back by your side."
She closes her eyes as I exit the room and step into the corridor. I pull out my phone and dial Ree first.
"Hey, Boss, glad to hear you’re both fine. What a crazy bitch, huh? What's up?"
"Do it."
"Really? Are you sure? You did think this through, right?" I sigh.
"Absolutely. Do it."
"Alright. There, it’s done."
"Your talents never cease to amaze me."
"Thanks. Now, good luck."
"Thank you. Now, go find a man to get under." She laughs.
"Sure, like it's that easy."
"Just put the line out there and you'll catch a shit ton of fish. Look under your seat."
"What the hell is this? It's an address? For what?"
"I may or may not have set you up on a blind date."
"What? With who?"
"My accountant."
"An accountant? Really? Do you know me at all?" I laugh.
"Yes, I do. That's why I set you up with him. Sure, his day job sounds boring, and it probably is. But he’s also a snowboarder. His family owns the Moose Lodge in Aspen."
"He snowboards? I frickin’ love snowboarding."
"I know that. Plus, Delores says he is hot as fuck. So, give her a call to get the dirty details that I will not be giving you. And show up at that address at eight tomorrow night. Hope it works out for both of you."
"Me too. I gotta call Delores. Bye, Boss."
"Bye."
I hang up the phone and call
Timothy next.
"Hello?"
"It's a go. Have the limo and the change of clothes here by dawn."
"Yes, Sir. Oh, I'm so excited."
"That makes one of us. I'm nervous as hell."
"Don't be, Sir. You got this."
"I sure hope so. Oh, and Timothy."
"Yes, Sir?"
"After this is over, I want you and Lance to pack your bags. I'm sending you guys on a two-week cruise around Europe. This campaign cost you a proper honeymoon, and that is unacceptable. So, let me make it up to you two." I can hear him crying through the phone.
"I don't know what to say. Thank you, Sir. Thank you so much."
"That's not all. Don't get mad, but I overheard you two discussing how you can't afford the apartment you both wanted. So, I called Lance last night and bought it for you. I know I don't always show my appreciation to you, but I really am damn grateful to have you as my best friend. Even if you still won't let me call you Timmy." We both laugh harmoniously.
"You are the best boss and friend I could have ever hoped for. I'm grateful to have you in my life too. Thank you. Now, I'm going to hang up before you buy me Long Island." I laugh harder than before.
"Good idea."
I hang up the phone and rejoin Nicole in her hospital room. I sit in the spare chair off to the side, contemplating all the consequences of what I am about to do. Is it worth it? Correction, is she worth it? Fuck, yes!
Chapter Twenty-Six
Aaron
I walk up to the podium and all their judging eyes are staring at me. Cameras are flashing. Reporters are reporting. But most importantly, Nicole is watching me from the side of the stage. This is it. This is where I lay it all out on the line. This is where I choose my own destiny, decide my own fate.
"Ladies and gentlemen. Thank you all for coming out on such short notice. Especially this early in the morning. First off, I know my philanderer bachelor's life has been the topic of many articles over the past decade. I told you all that I am a changed man, and I mean it. But what I haven't done is apologize for my actions. So, to all of the women watching this on TV right now, I am sorry for the way I treated you. I want to say that I was stupid and childish, but I wasn't. I knew exactly what I was doing and how it was going to make you feel, but I didn't care. And for that, I am sorry. I was old enough to know better. You may ask, why apologize now? Why bring back the past? Well, the truth is, ladies, I finally know how I made you feel."
I clear my throat loudly to force a lump to go down.
"I apologize. This is hard for me to admit. Last night, I almost lost the love of my life. One of my past lovers kidnapped her. She was blindfolded and had a rope restraint around her wrists and an electric cable restraint around her ankles. That cable was hooked up to a fifty-volt battery. The love of my life was going to be electrocuted all because I was foolish and reckless. At the time, I didn't care how my actions affected that past lover or her emotions. And I experienced first-hand just how horrible I made her feel. I am ashamed that it took me this long to finally see the horrors of my actions. I'm not asking you ladies for your forgiveness. Instead, I just ask that you accept my humble apology. It's up to you whether or not you want to believe me. But, the truth of the matter is, after my speech comes to an end, you will see that I have no more reasons to lie to you. Before I move forward, I want to say that the love of my life is now safe. A few cuts and bruises here and there, but safe nonetheless. And, Sarah Gracen, I never did tell you what happened eight years ago that caused me to abruptly end our relationship, and I feel like now is a great time to finally let you know why. You deserve that much from me. Hell, this is long overdue. Eight years ago, I found out a deep, dark secret of my father's. I confronted him about it and told him that I was going to tell the authorities. This is where you come in. He told me that if I told anybody about his past, he would hire somebody to kill you. Afraid for your life, I severed all ties and connections to you. I apologize that it took me so long to finally cue you in on this conversation, but I was terrified. Please, forgive me, Sarah, and move on. You deserve a better man than the one I was then. Now, on to the truth about Marcia Gonzalez."
The crowd gasps loudly. They cannot believe what I am saying. A smile forms on my face as I see Marcia's panicked expression in my peripheral vision. I told her not to come. But she didn't listen. And now, she is probably going to regret her decision.
"I thought I could fake a happy relationship, but I cannot. It wasn't fair to lie my fellow New Yorkers like I did. I cannot and will not lie to you all anymore just to spare myself from negative publicity. The truth of the matter is that Marcia and I were never engaged."
The crowd all glares at her with their noses held high and judgment in their eyes. I smirk for a moment, but then I wipe the enjoyment from my face.
"I hired Marcia to pretend to be my fiancée, just to help my image amongst minority voters. Moving on, you all were already made aware of my true heritage. But you didn't hear it from my perspective. As you all know, I grew up Upstate in Rochester. My father is not a good man and is now in prison, where he will hopefully spend the rest of his life miserable and alone. He was unfaithful to his wife on many occasions. The most significant one being with their Colombian maid, Esmeralda Colon. Throughout my childhood, I always knew her as the maid. I was such an asshole to her. I would tell her to clean this and do that. I treated her like garbage. But, like the wonderful person she was, she obeyed every order without even a snarl on her face. When I was thirteen, she grew very ill. She couldn't afford health-care on the salary my father was paying her. I watched as she grew paler with each passing day. Then, one day came where she didn't leave her chambers. I woke up and my room was just as messy as the day before. I marched to her room, prepared to scold her harshly. When I opened the door, I saw her resting in her bed. She looked so frail and weak. She beckoned me to her bedside. I don't know why I listened to her, but I did. I'm grateful that I did. She told me that my mother was barren and couldn't conceive a child. She told me that she was my mother and that I was born Emmanuel Colon. She said she couldn't afford to raise me so she gave me to my father. He renamed me Aaron Emmanuel Colon Hunter. I asked her why she hadn’t told me sooner. She said it was so I could have a better life, something she couldn't provide me. Those were her last words before she died in my arms. That is why I'm really running for office. To make sure that what happened to my mother doesn't happen to anybody else. But the man standing in front of you today would not have made her proud. I ran for office, that's true, but I did it with lies and deceit. So, I hereby renounce my candidacy and am dropping out of the Senatorial Race. This will not be the last you hear from me. I plan to get my personal life back in order first, then I will be back. And I will do this properly. I will be the man that would make my mother proud. All of this starts today. Right here. Right now. With this one question…Nicole Parker, will you marry me?"
I drop down to one knee. I reach into my jacket pocket and pull out the engagement ring I bought the night she left me at the Isaiah Foundation. Nicole walks out onto the stage. Her hands are shaking. My heart starts racing so rapidly, it hurts as it pounds against my chest. Please, say yes. Please, say yes. Please, say yes.
She walks over to me and sits on my knee. She leans her lips to my ear, and whispers, "You're just full of surprises, aren't you?"
"Are you just going to leave me hanging here? Make me look like an idiot in front of all these people?"
"I'd nod, but then they might think I said yes. Of course, I'll marry you." Music to my ears.
I place the ring on her finger, lift her up, and kiss her hard as the crowd erupts into cheers.
"Now, c'mon, Parker. I've got a surprise for you."
"Another one?" I nod my head.
I interlock her hand with mine and guide her into the limousine that was waiting for us. As soon as I shut the door, the limo takes off, and so does Nicole's libido.
She hops onto my lap, straddling me. She gy
rates her ass back and forth, awakening my cock into an upright position. Once again, he is saluting his queen. I bring my lips to her neck and start sucking on it. She groans at my touch.
The limousine stops, forcing me to remove my grip on her neck. She hops off me as my driver opens the limousine door. I hop out first and hold out my hand to her. She takes it as I guide her out of the vehicle.
I point toward the old abandoned building that stands before us. She glances up at it for a moment before she shifts her gaze to me. She arches her brow and purses her lips in confusion.
"What is this?"
"Yours. All yours."
"Okay, so it's mine. But what is it?" I laugh.
"Walk inside and see for yourself, gorgeous."
She obeys my suggestion. As I hold open the door for her, she walks inside and smiles from ear to ear.
"You bought me a news station?" I nod.
"Your very own news station. Design it the way you want it, and I'll take care of the rest. I know it's not a newspaper like you're used to. But a beautiful face like yours needs to be on television, not hiding behind a byline."
She runs up to me and jumps into the air. I stretch out my arms and sweep her into my embrace. Tears start flowing down her face.
"Happy tears, I hope."
"Definitely happy tears. This is the best gift ever. Thank you so much!"
"You deserve it. You deserve all of it." She grins at me and grabs my ass.
"I think I deserve you, naked, on top of me, in a limo." I grin from ear to ear and let out a predatory growl.
"That can be arranged, my darling."
Epilogue
Nicole
Double Agent Page 15
