Play Thing: A Billionaire Romance

by Kira Blakely

  Come to think of it, I didn’t notice if she was wearing it at her funeral. Then again, I didn’t really look at her coffin and even when I was, my thoughts were far away.

  Why does Dennis have it?

  I hold the necklace with the gold chain and the gold heart pendant up, examining it closely just to make sure it is the same as my mother’s. I know the pendant of my mother’s necklace had two smaller hearts engraved at the back.

  I gasp, finding the hearts there.

  It is my mother’s necklace.

  That’s not all I find, though, also finding one of the tiny hearts stained red.

  Blood.

  Shocked, I drop the necklace, which clatters as it falls to the tiled floor.

  So, Dennis did see my mother again. Worse, he was there the day my mother died. And there’s a good chance he…

  “Abby?”

  Oh, shit. Dennis is back.

  My heart pounding, I scramble to pick up the necklace.

  “Abby? I got a pepperoni pizza. I seem to remember you liked it.”

  I slip the necklace inside the pocket of my pants then hurriedly put the lid back on the now-empty pill bottle, shoving it back into the medicine cabinet before pushing the door shut.

  “Abby?”

  I open the door, trying my best to stay calm when I see him standing just a few feet away.

  “Sorry.” I try to keep my voice from shaking. “I just needed to go to the bathroom. You know, bladder issues.”

  “Oh.”

  Does he suspect anything? Can he see how nervous I am? I don’t know. I just walk past him, heading to the kitchen.

  Act normal, Abby.

  I open the box of pizza and inhale the aroma. “Mmm. Pepperoni.”

  Dennis just stands there, staring at me.

  “What?” I ask him.

  His eyes narrow. “What do you have in your pocket?”

  I freeze. Did he notice?

  Calm down, Abby.

  “You mean this?” I take the can of pepper spray out. “I take it with me wherever I go, you know, as a weapon of self-defense.”

  Really?

  “You know, against muggers and thugs out there. I mean, this is New York.”

  He grabs the can, glancing at the label before throwing it into the trash can.

  Great. Now, I don’t have anything to defend myself with.

  “Now, hand the necklace over.” Dennis extends his arm.

  “What necklace?”

  Dennis chuckles. “You can’t fool me, Abby. I’ve always known if you were hiding something, whether it’s the cookie you got from the jar or a present you were making for your mother or a bruise from being pushed down the stairs at school.”

  Shit.

  “Now, hand me the necklace.”

  “No.” I shake my head.

  Even if I give him the necklace, I’m sure he’s not going to let me go. And if I do give it to him, then it’s over. I have nothing.

  “Abby.”

  “It’s mine,” I tell him. “It belonged to my mother, so now it belongs to me.”

  “It wasn’t hers. It belongs to me.”

  “You gave it to her, remember?”

  “Which means I can take it back.” He takes a step forward. “Give it to me, Abby.”

  I take a step back, panicking as I realize the sink is right behind me.

  I have nowhere to go.

  My fear rises as Dennis grabs a knife. “I don’t want to hurt you, Abby, but I will if you don’t give me the necklace.”

  Shit.

  Calm down, Abby. Think.

  “Why did you kill her, Dennis?” I ask him, hoping to distract him. “Why did you kill my mother?”

  He laughs but at least, he lowers the knife. “Fine. I’ll tell you why since you figured it out, though that also means I’ll have to kill you, but not before I get a fortune from your rich boyfriend. I wonder how much he’ll pay to get you and your baby back.”

  I suppress a shudder. “Why?”

  He shrugs. “Wrong place, wrong time? I was in that motel, too, you see, and I saw her. I hadn’t had a woman in a long time so I thought I’d go have some fun with her. She was still my wife, after all.”

  “You left her,” I remind him. “You had no right to call yourself her husband.”

  “But she was still wearing that necklace. Plus, the moment I saw her, I just missed her. I suddenly wanted her back, you know.”

  My hands clench into fists. “How dare you.”

  He ignores me. “So, I went to her room and would you believe she had the gall to try and throw me out, saying she was done with me?”

  “She only did what was right.”

  “Maybe, but I was pissed. So, I killed her with that Swiss knife I saw on the table then took the necklace. And when her boyfriend came out of the bathroom, I killed him, too, but made it look like he killed her first and then himself. I didn’t like him. I took something from him, too, you know.”

  “His glasses.”

  Dennis shakes a finger at me. “You’ve always been smart. I took his glasses, crushed them and threw them away somewhere.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I didn’t like them.”

  I square my shoulders. “You’re not going to get away with what you did, Dennis.”

  “Ah, but I already have and if I’m correct, you helped, right? You didn’t want any further investigation.”

  Sadly, he’s right. I did help him get away, which means it’s my duty to help put him away. I have to get justice for my mother’s death.

  I have to escape. But how?

  “The necklace, Abby.” Dennis extends his hand again.

  I take it out slowly.

  “Good girl.”

  I pretend to hand it over but at the last second, I grab the plate behind me, throwing it at his head.

  “Fuck!”

  While he’s distracted, I run to the door. I can’t run that fast, though, and Dennis catches up to me, pulling me by the hair.

  Shit.

  At that moment, the door crashes down on the floor, Grant standing where it used to be with a gun in his hand.

  “Grant!” Relief wells in my chest, though it vanishes as Dennis pulls me close to him, holding the knife in his hand against my neck.

  “Let Abby go,” Grant demands, pointing the gun at Dennis.

  “Drop the gun or she dies,” Dennis threatens.

  Grant doesn’t move.

  “Drop the gun,” Dennis orders impatiently, lowering the knife so that it’s against my belly.

  No. Not my baby.

  Grant raises his hands, kneeling slowly to put his gun down.

  I can’t breathe. One way or another, I feel like someone is going to get hurt.

  This is all my fault.

  “Good,” Dennis says when the gun is on the floor. “Now—”

  With one quick motion, Grant grabs Dennis’ hand that is holding the knife, twisting his arm. I run to the doorway but watch fearfully as they fight. Dennis kicks Grant’s leg to free his arm.

  “Fuck,” Grant mutters.

  I place my hand over my heart. “Grant!”

  Dennis tries to cut him with the knife. Grant evades the first few attempts but the fourth succeeds, leaving him with a gash on his arm.

  “No!”

  Oh, where is Roger when we need him the most?

  I glance at the gun on the floor. Should I get it?

  But if I do, I’ll be close to them again. What if Dennis cuts me instead? What if he hurts me or my baby?

  Suddenly, as Dennis lifts the knife to cut Grant again, Grant crouches, kicking Dennis off his feet. As Dennis falls, Grant grabs the gun, pointing it at him.

  Quickly, Dennis throws away the knife, his expression changing.

  “Please don’t kill me. I didn’t mean to hurt anyone, I swear.”

  Grant’s expression, however, doesn’t soften. “I don’t care. You tried to hurt my family. There’s no forgiveness for that
.”

  He cocks the gun.

  Wait. Is he going to kill Dennis?

  “Don’t kill him, Grant,” I tell him.

  As much as I want Dennis dead, I don’t want his blood on Grant’s hands. I don’t want any more bloodshed.

  “He’s not worth it,” I add.

  For a moment, Grant doesn’t move. I hold my breath, fearing that at any second, the gun will off. It doesn’t, though.

  “Abby, call the cops,” he tells me without taking his eyes off Dennis.

  I obey, grabbing my purse that I set down on the couch and fishing out my phone from inside it, calling 911.

  “9-1-1. What’s your emergency?”

  “Hello. My name is Abby Gomez.” I glance at Dennis and take a deep breath. “I’d like to report an attempted murder and a murder.”

  ***

  The cops arrive after ten minutes, dragging Dennis away. I hand them the necklace, too, telling them that it’s evidence he murdered my mother.

  After they leave, I throw myself into Grant’s arms. My heart is still pounding, my hands still slightly shaking but I’m glad everything’s over. I’m glad Grant, my baby, and I are safe.

  “Are you all right, Abby?” Grant lifts my chin.

  I nod. “I’m sorry I investigated on my own even though you told me not to. I put our baby’s life in danger. I’m so sorry.”

  “Shh.” He wraps his arms around me. “It’s fine now. At least, you were able to get your answers. Now, you can finally have some peace of mind and move on.”

  “Finally.”

  “And more importantly, you’re safe. Our baby is safe.”

  I touch his arm. “But you’re hurt.”

  “It’s just a gash,” he says.

  “I didn’t know you knew how to fight.”

  “Roger taught me.”

  I smile. “Good. For a moment there, I was afraid I was going to lose you.”

  “Me, too,” Grant admits, hugging me. “I was afraid I’d lost you.” He places a hand on my belly. “And the baby.”

  “I know.” I look at my belly. “Thank goodness our baby is all right and now that I know what happened to my mother, I can devote all my attention to him. Or her.”

  It doesn’t matter if our baby is a boy or a girl. I just know that our baby will change my life and Grant’s, making us into better people and a better couple.

  Frankly, that’s what I’m more excited for.

  I place my hand over Grant’s so that we’re both touching my belly then I smile. “We can’t wait to meet you, Baby.”

  Chapter 18

  Family

  Abby

  Thirty-one weeks later…

  “It’s a boy,” Dr. Norwood announces as he hands the baby I just delivered to the pediatrician, Dr. Sully. “Just as the ultrasound predicted.”

  “Our dear Marius,” I say, my gaze following the baby.

  My baby. Our baby.

  “You were fantastic.” Grant plants a kiss on my forehead.

  “I don’t feel fantastic,” I confess, feeling as if I’m already on the brink of passing out from exhaustion.

  I swear giving birth is the hardest thing a woman can ever go through, just like Lindsey and Marjorie warned me.

  All my exhaustion vanishes, though, as the nurse places Marius in my arms. He’s so tiny and yet he’s already filled my whole heart, the joy and the love that I feel for him so overwhelming that tears trickle down my cheeks.

  “Hello, Marius. I’m your Mama. And I promise I will always take care of you.”

  He doesn’t answer, of course, but that’s fine. I don’t need him to say anything or promise anything back. He has my love unconditionally.

  “He has the same hair as you,” Grant says to me, stroking the top of Marius’ head gently.

  “Would you like to hold him?” I ask.

  Grant nods and as much as I want to hold Marius in my arms close to my heart forever, I hand him to his father, pride swelling inside me as I see Grant carrying our baby, his smile letting me know he feels just as happy and complete as I do.

  Staring at the two men who are my life, I can ask for nothing more. These two men are my present and my future. The past no longer matters. It’s already so far behind.

  As a family, we may still hurt each other. We may still make mistakes. But I just know that nothing will tear us apart.

  I just know.

  Epilogue

  Honeymoon

  Abby

  Two and a half years later…

  “Bye, sweetheart. Mama loves you.”

  Fighting back tears, I wave at the little figure on my laptop screen as I watch him scurry away from view to something that caught his attention.

  My Marius.

  It seems like only yesterday when I first held him in my arms, when I spent those sleepless nights nursing him and rocking him to sleep. Now, he’s eating a lot – at least, he can eat a lot of things, although most of the food ends up on his face, shirt, bib or the tray of his high chair – and he’s running around, usually until he bumps into something.

  Boy, children sure grow up fast.

  For Marius, these years are still a blur. But I know I’ll remember each moment forever – each cry, each laugh, each first.

  Including this one. This is the first conversation I’ve had with my son on Skype. And this is my first time away from him.

  Damn, I miss him so much.

  “Hey, you’re not crying are you?” Lindsey asks as she appears on the screen, sitting in front of the computer.

  “No.” I quickly wipe a tear that has managed to leak out the corner of my eye.

  Lindsey sits back with a frown, crossing her arms over her chest.

  Of course, I can’t fool her. She’s Lindsey Holland, after all. She’s my best friend now, especially after she’s helped me--physically and emotionally-- through my crazy first months of being a mother. She’s become my business partner, too, in the women’s clothing line we started together. She’s also Marius’ godmother, which is why she’s currently looking after him with the help of her mother and her kids, all of whom seem to be all over my little heartthrob.

  “I know it’s hard, Abby, but Marius is in great hands,” Lindsey tells me. “He’s having fun. That’s what you should be doing, too. I mean, you’re on your honeymoon. Take this opportunity to make some great memories with your husband.”

  Husband. I’m still not used to calling Grant that. He proposed to me shortly after Marius was born, but we decided we’d wait until Marius could take his first steps before we got married. That way, Marius could walk down the aisle with me. Finally, last week, that happened. I still can’t believe it.

  It’s so hard to believe any of this – my son, Grant, my company, and right now, being in this hotel room miles away from home. Sometimes, it feels like I’m dreaming.

  “Earth to Abby,” Lindsey interrupts my thoughts.

  “Sorry,” I tell her. “I just miss Marius, and I guess I feel like I should be there with him.”

  “That’s because you’re a mother. We feel like we should be with our children all the time. But hey, it’s okay not to be. In fact, it’s strongly recommended that you take a step back, give your child space, and give yourself some as well.”

  I know. I don’t intend to be a helicopter mom. It’s just… Marius is still a baby. He still needs me.

  “Listen, Abby. There’s nothing for you to worry about. There’s nothing wrong with you going on this honeymoon. In fact, you deserve it. You deserve a break, and you deserve some time alone with Grant. And you need it. You need times like this to feed your soul and nourish your body so you can be a stronger woman and a better mother. And you need times like this with Grant to keep you afloat when you hit the rapids. Because trust me, you will. This is all for the best. You owe it to yourself to do this.”

  I sigh. As always, Lindsey knows just what to say.

  “Fine,” I tell her. “I’ll try not to worry too much. Or cry.”


  “Good.” Lindsey smiles. “That’s my girl. Have fun.”

  “I will,” I promise. “Good night.”

  It may be morning here in the Philippines, but in Atlanta, it’s evening.

  “Oh, and I don’t know if you’ve seen it yet, but I snuck something into the bottom of your red suitcase,” Lindsey adds. “Something black.”

  “Black?”

  “Bye. I have to go watch the kids. I love you. Take care.”

  Before I can say another word, she’s gone and the screen beeps to black.

  Okay.

  I get out of my chair to find my suitcase, but on my way there, I pause, captivated by the view of the ocean outside the window.

  It’s true what they say: El Nido, Palawan is one of the most breathtaking places on Earth.

  The sun is already up, and the water is glistening, its surface calm and blue and green. In the distant horizon, I can see rocks and islands, all beckoning to be explored. The sky above is a cloudless blue.

  A summer sky. The sky of the land of my birth.

  I can’t believe that, either – that I’m here in the Philippines now. Grant insisted we have our honeymoon in Asia, starting here. Lindsey approved of it as well. I admit I was reluctant at first, but I decided there was no harm in it. In fact, it’s a good choice. Maybe this way, I’ll be able to find the missing pieces of myself and move on.

  Now, staring at the Philippine sky, I realize I’ve made a good decision. I realize, too, that I never hated this country. I was just hurt by a handful of the people in it that I’d left behind. I’ve missed it. And now that I’m here, I feel at peace.

  I feel home.

  I’m home, Mama.

  How I wish we could have come back here together, maybe reconciled with our family here. There’s no chance of that now, though. As for the people I’d left behind, I have no way of getting in touch of them. Even if I had, I wouldn’t know how to face them or what to say to them.

  I shake my head, dispelling the gloomy thoughts threatening to hang over me.